PM must intervene, says Kapil Sibal on Qatar death sentence for 8 ex-Indian Navy men

In the wake of news that eight former Indian Navy personnel, in custody in Qatar since last year, have been awarded the death sentence, veteran lawyer and politician Kapil Sibal on Thursday sought the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the government must explore all options for their release.

In a post on X, Sibal said, "Our Vishwa Guru (PM Modi) must intervene. Eight Indian ex-Navy officers given the death penalty by a Qatar court. Held accountable on charges which have not been even made public by Qatari authorities. Our government must explore all options for their release."  

The eight men were arrested last year after being charged with spying for Israel by Qatari authorities. Among them are decorated officers who once commanded major Indian warships, and were working for Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services, a private firm that provided training and related services to Qatar's armed forces.

Their bail pleas were rejected numerous times and their detention extended by Qatari authorities. On Thursday, the Court of First Instance of Qatar passed its judgement. Earlier in the day, the Indian government expressed shock over the news and said it would contest the court's decision.