Appeal filed against death sentence to 8 Indians by Qatar to come up for hearing on Thursday

The appeal filed by India against the death penalty awarded to eight Indian sailors in Qatar is set to come up for hearing on Thursday (Nov 23).

The Indian men were arrested by Qatari authorities in August 2022, and have been kept in detention without specifying the crimes committed by them. The Court of First Instance of Qatar passed the judgement against those who worked for Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services.

The judgement was passed by the Court of First Instance of Qatar on October 26.

Expressing shock over the verdict, India had vowed to explore all legal options in the case to secure the release of its citizens.

"We have initial information that the Court of First Instance of Qatar has today passed a judgement in the case involving eight Indian employees of Al Dahra company," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

"We are deeply shocked by the verdict of the death penalty and are awaiting the detailed judgement. We are in touch with the family members and the legal team, and we are exploring all legal options," it added.

Aggrieved families meet Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met the family members of the Indian sailors and said that he fully shares their pain and concern.

"Met this morning with the families of the 8 Indians detained in Qatar. Stressed that the Government attaches the highest importance to the case. Fully share the concerns and pain of the families. Underlined that the Government will continue to make all efforts to secure their release. Will coordinate closely with the families in that regard," he said on X.

The New Indian Express, citing a source, reported that the families of the Indians arrested are hoping that the appeal will be considered and that two more appeals will be filed in the court if this one is not accepted.

(With inputs from agencies)