According to the Indian foreign ministry, a court in Qatar has commuted the death sentences of eight former Indian naval officers.
A statement from the ministry claimed that the “sentences have been reduced,” but it did not say what the new punishment would be.
India and Qatar have not made public the precise accusations leveled against the men.
According to FT and Reuters, who cited anonymous sources, the men were accused of working as Israeli spies.
Declaring that it was “not an Israeli matter,” a representative for the Israeli embassy in India declined to comment.
India’s foreign ministry stated on Thursday that “it would not be appropriate to make any further comment at this juncture due to the confidential and sensitive nature of proceedings of this case.”
According to a Friday story in the Indian Express newspaper, the families of the detained officers announced that they would file an appeal with Qatar’s highest court to have the sentences reduced.
India declared in October that it
The men’s arrest in India last year garnered widespread media attention, but little is known about the charges against them—the court’s ruling has not been made public.
Although the Indian government claims that the eight men worked for a private company named Al Dahra, there have been numerous reports claiming that they were once Indian Navy personnel. They were referred to as “ex-servicemen” of the nation by Foreign Minister S Jaishankar in parliament last year. Local media has received confirmation from the families of a few of the men regarding their identities and Navy history.
The men in jail were visited earlier this month by India’s ambassador to Qatar.
India announced on Thursday that its ambassador and additional officials were present at the Court.
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