2023 Qatar espionage case
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| Date | August 2022 – present |
|---|---|
| Location | Qatar |
| Type | Alleged Espionage |
| Target | a secret Qatari submarine project[1] |
| Suspects | Eight Indian Nationals |
| Accused | All Eight |
| Convicted | Yes (according to media reports) |
| Charges | Not made public |
| Verdict | Death penalty (Judgement not released) |
In August 2022, eight Indian nationals were detained by Qatar. They are also former Indian Navy officers serving at different ranks. Charges against them were not made public by Qatari Authorities, however media reports suggested "spying for Israel". The detained men were allegedly involved in dubious activities connected to espionage.[2][3]
Background
Millions of Indian nationals reside in the Gulf region, with tens of thousands employed in semi-skilled and low-income jobs. These migrant workers have been instrumental in the development of the economies of Gulf Arab states and serve as a crucial source of remittances for India.[4]
Arrest
On 30 August 2022, eight Indian nationals namely Navtej Singh Gill, Birendra Kumar Verma, Saurabh Vasisht, Amit Nagpal, Purnendu Tiwari, Sugunakar Pakala, Sanjeev Gupta and Ragesh, were arrested from Doha by the Qatari intelligence service. They were also ex-servicemen of Indian Navy[5]
Case
Case has been subject to secrecy and diplomatic blockage of any imformation dispensation to the public. Neither India nor Qatar have made charges public. Up till December 2022, MEA indicated that no charges were pressed. It said "If they say that the charges have not yet been pressed, let's take it at that value." in weekly media briefing.[6]
However, later media reports suggested that they have been charged with espionage.
According to reports, they were in charge of teaching the Qatari Navy and were employed by a private company AL Dahra GLobal Technoligies and Counsultancy Services (Al dahra consulting company) owned by an ex- Oman Air Force officer, it offers training and other services to Qatar's armed forces.
According to ThePrint report, Eight former Indian Navy personnel being tried in Qatar have been accused of spying on the Qatar's secretive programme to obtain Italian-made, high-tech submarines coated with metamaterials that make their detection by adversaries difficult. In the same report quoting an Indian intelligence officer it said "India was trying to convince Qatar that India and its nationals were not involved in hostile intelligence operations against the Qatar", however Qatari intelligence counterpart insisted that "intelligence on their submarine programme was passed on to Israel". The Qatar State Security, claimed to have intercepted electronic communications establishing that the naval officers were spying on the submarine programme. However, same Indian intelligence officer said the evidence of which has not been shared with India.[2]
Their formal trial began on 29 March 2023.
The arrested Indian nationals' bail requests have been denied by Qatari authorities several times, and their incarceration has most recently been increased. The men had their case forwarded to court by the public prosecutor.[7][8]
On 1 October,2023 Indian ambassador to Qatar met these eight men. The seventh and last hearing of the case took place on 3 October,2023[9]
Verdict
In October 2023, the eight Indian Nationals (former Navy officers) working for the Al Dahra consulting company, which was advising the Qatari government on the acquisition of submarines, were awarded death sentences by a Qatari court.[10] Neither Qatar nor India have revealed the specific charges against them.[4]
Reactions
The detained Indian nationals in Qatar were actively sought for Consular access by the Indian mission in Doha, according to the Ministry of External Affairs of India (MEA). Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson for the MEA, said that the Indian Embassy in Doha spoke with the Qatari government and that Indian diplomats visited the arrested Indians to inquire about their wellbeing. The families of the arrested individuals are still in contact with the Indian embassy in Doha, which is also providing consular and legal support. However, the MEA withheld any information pertaining to the accusations made against the former officers.[11][12]
Qatari side has also maintained complete silence on allegations, and has not used the word "espionage" or "spying".[9] An Indian journalist and their spouse were also ordered by Qatari authorities to leave the country for reporting on the case.[13]
See also
- Kulbhushan Jadhav – Indian national in Pakistani custody (born 1970)
References
- ^ "Qatar awards death penalty to 8 ex-Indian Navy officers for espionage - Timeline". Mint(Newspaper). 26 October 2023.
- ^ a b Swami, Praveen (April 19, 2023). "8 former Navy officers imprisoned by Qatar accused of spying on emirate's super-secret submarine programme". ThePrint.
- ^ "8 Indians allegedly spying for Israel arrested in Qatar - report - The Jerusalem Post". 10 November 2022.
- ^ a b "Qatar sentences Indian ex-naval officers to death". BBC News. 2023-10-27. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
- ^ "Qatar court hands death sentence to eight former Indian Navy officials; 'deeply shocked' MEA exploring all legal options". The Hindu. 26 October 2023.
- ^ Bagchi, Arindam (2022-12-29), Transcript of Weekly Media Briefing by the Official Spokesperson, pp. Paragraph 28
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Case of 8 former naval personnel detained since Aug comes up in Qatar court: MEA". Hindustan Times. April 6, 2023.
- ^ "Qatar arrests eight Indian nationals accused of spying for Israel". I24news. 20 April 2023.
- ^ a b Laskar, Rezaul (2023-10-26), "8 ex-Indian Navy personnel sentenced to death in Qatar; New Delhi says deeply shocked", Hindustan Times, retrieved 2023-10-29
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "India 'exploring all legal options' after Qatari court sentences 8 Indians to death for spying". AP News. 26 October 2023.
- ^ MEA Press Release, 2023-10-26
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Explained: The row over 8 former Indian Navy officers being detained in Qatar". Firstpost. November 9, 2022.
- ^ "8 ex-Indian Navy officers awarded death penalty in Qatar; 'Deeply shocked', says MEA". Hindustan Times. 26 October 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.