Qatar Releases 8 Former Indian Navy Officers Jailed for Spying for Israel
Qatar has released eight former Indian Navy officers who were originally sentenced to death on charges of spying for Israel.
Seven of the men have already returned to India, according to reports, and India’s External Affairs Ministry issued a statement on Monday thanking the emir of Qatar for releasing its nationals.
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The eight men, all former Indian Navy officers, worked in senior positions for a private consultancy company called Dahra Global Technologies and Consulting Services, which was advising the Qatari government on the acquisition of high-tech submarines capable of evading radar detection.
In August 2022, they were arrested on charges of passing sensitive information about the submarine program to Israel. In October 2023, a Qatari court sentenced them to death. Following an appeal filed by India, the death sentences were commuted in December to prison terms of varying lengths.
Neither India nor Israel has commented on the spying accusations. The Dahra company has been shut down and some 75 mostly Indian employees have been let go.
While the incident caused waves, India and Qatar have strong relations, and last week signed a deal worth tens of billions of dollars to secure Qatari liquefied natural gas exports until 2048.
