In what can be seen as a major diplomatic win for India, eight Indian Navy veterans, who were sentenced to death in Qatar, were released by a court in Doha. The ministry of external affairs (MEA), in a statement, said on Monday that of the eight Indian nationals, seven have already returned to India. The capital punishment was commuted to an extended prison term earlier following diplomatic intervention by New Delhi.
On February 12, the Union government released an official statement welcoming the decision to set the veteran officers free, saying, “The Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for the Dahra Global company who were detained in Qatar. Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India. We appreciate the decision by the Amir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of these nationals.”
