Qatar releases eight former Indian navy officers who were previously sentenced to death

A Qatari court has released eight former Indian naval officers who were previously on death row for unspecified charges. According to Delhi's foreign ministry, seven of the men have already returned to India. In January, authorities announced that their death sentences had been reduced to prison sentences of varying lengths. The specific charges against the men, who were working for Dahra Global, a private firm in Qatar, have not been disclosed by either Qatar or India. However, according to reports from Financial Times and Reuters, the men were charged with spying for Israel. In a statement, Delhi's foreign ministry expressed gratitude for the decision by the Amir of the State of Qatar to release and repatriate the individuals. The court's initial death sentence ruling in October had shocked India, leading the foreign ministry to state that it would explore all legal options. Eventually, an appeal against the sentence was filed. The arrest of these men had garnered significant media attention in India in 2022.