The eight men were convicted by a Qatari court in October.
New Delhi:
A convict transfer deal may help eight Indian Navy veterans on death row in Qatar. The men sentenced to death by a Qatari court in October on undisclosed charges had their sentences commuted today. Details of the new sentence are unclear as the verdict has not yet been made public. In case of long prison sentences, they can be transferred to India under the 2015 treaty, a retired naval officer said.
Former Navy chief Admiral Arun Prakash, who has raised questions about the Qatar case, said on social media that the 2015 deal could provide respite to Navy veterans, some of whom were highly decorated officers.
“Under this 2015 agreement, convicted individuals can be repatriated to serve their sentence at home. Indian Navy veterans must have their sentence commuted or pardoned and avail this arrangement,” he posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday.
Under this 2015 agreement, convicted people can be repatriated to serve their sentence at home. IN Veterans must have their sentence commuted or a pardon obtained and take advantage of this agreement. https://t.co/YNTqXNeKhP
— Arun Prakash (@arunp2810) October 26, 2023
In December 2014, the Union Cabinet had given the go-ahead to the deal with Qatar under which Indian prisoners held in Qatar or vice versa can be transferred to their own country so that they can be near their families.
The contract with Qatar was signed in 2015 during the visit of Qatari Foreign Minister Dr. Khalid Bin Mohammed Al Attiyah signed in India.
“Under this agreement, Indian prisoners convicted in Qatar can be brought to India to serve the remaining part of their sentence.
Similarly, Qatari citizens convicted in India can be sent to their home country to serve their sentence. “This agreement would allow the convicted persons to be close to their families and would help in their social rehabilitation,” the State Department said.
Qatar is one of the over 30 countries with which India has such an agreement.
The eight men were convicted by a Qatari court in October. They have been in prison since August last year and the charges against them have never been made public. The families have rejected the accusation of spying on behalf of Israel. They have also said they will immediately appeal – a process that could take three months. The possibility of a royal pardon could only be considered after the appeal ruling, sources said.