February 12, 2024: Qatar has released the eight former Indian Navy officers who were imprisoned in the West Asian nation on espionage charges.

The eight former Indian Navy personnel were released from the Qatar’s custody three months after they were sentenced to death. The former officers had been on death row since October 26 when a lower court in the West Asian nation had awarded them capital punishment for allegedly spying for Israel.

According to a statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs, out of eight, seven have returned to India. The former Indian Navy officers, Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Captain Saurabh Vasisht, Commander Amit Nagpal, Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta and Sailor Ragesh, had been arrested from Doha by the Qatari intelligence service on August 30, 2022.

As per sources, they had all been employees of the Dahra Global Company, which had been offering training and several other services to the security agencies as well as the defence forces of Qatar.

The Dahra Global Company had over 70 Indians, mostly former Indian Navy officials, on its staff. It had suspended its operations in Qatar last May; several months after its officials had been put in jail.