New Delhi: In a major victory for India’s diplomacy, Qatar on Thursday commuted the death sentence of 8 former Indian naval officers and converted it to jail term.
The big reprieve for ex-Navymen on death row in Qatar shows India’s growing diplomatic might & prowess and also how the consistent nudging by Indian government helped save the prisoners from capital punishment.
The commutation of ex-Navymen’s death sentencing comes as a big relief for their families, who have been running from pillar to post for securing their safety & safe release.
The good news about former naval officers also left the social media excited & joyous, as many welcomed the ‘goodwill gesture’ of Gulf nation though others differed and contested that the officers were implicated on false charges and it reeked of some ulterior motives.
All hailed the reduction in sailor’s sentencing as India’s big diplomatic victory and also lauded Modi government for making Qatar administration ‘yield under pressure’.
Ex-diplomat hopes for their ‘homecoming’ soon
Anil Trigunayat, a former diplomat saw the development as an effect of India-Qatar sturdy relations. He says that the Court of Appeals commuting sentencing was welcome but he would rather hope for return of the jailed sailors on back of excellent bilateral relations between two countries.
“I would sincerely hope that they will not only be exonerated, but will be returned home at the earliest in view of our excellent bilateral relationships, because we have much to gain from each other and we respect the law of the land,” he told ANI.
#WATCH | On death penalty to 8 ex-Indian Navy personnel in Qatar, Anil Trigunayat, a Former Diplomat says, “You know, Qatar and India relations have been very strong, sturdy and mutually beneficial. Unfortunately, this is an irritant in the relationship as far as the detention… pic.twitter.com/3qaUenq24Q
— ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2023
For the unversed, all the eight former naval officers have been jailed in Qatar prisons since August 2022. In October this year, they were held guilty & sentenced to death row. However, all through this phase, the Qatar administration never revealed the clauses & charges under which these ex-Navymen were booked.
