Qatar Court accepts ex-Indian Navy men's appeal facing death sentence

Qatar has accepted the appeal filed by the India Government against the death sentence of eight former Indian Navy personnel. 

As per sources close to the families of the men, a Qatari court has accepted India's appeal. An official confirmation from the Ministry of External Affairs is awaited.

Further, the appeal has been accepted by the court and will now be examined to come to a final decision in the case. 

A new date for the hearing will be issued. 

Also Read: 8 Indians, facing death sentence in Qatar, charged with spying for Israel: Report

Last month, eight former Indian Navy personnel who were sentenced to death by a court in Qatar were charged with allegedly spying for Israel. 

The Indian nationals were arrested by the Qatari intelligence agency in August 2022. However, charges against them were not officially disclosed by either New Delhi or Doha.

Reports state that a government official in India, aware of Qatar's stance, revealed that Qatari authorities had accused these individuals of spying for Israel. The eight Indians facing the death penalty have the option to appeal their sentences, a source familiar with the case in Qatar told Reuters.

Both Indian and Qatari foreign ministries have refrained from commenting on the claims made by these sources. Furthermore, there has been no immediate response from the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem, which oversees Israel's intelligence services.