In a major diplomatic win for India, Qatar released the eight Indian Navy veterans who were earlier sentenced to Death for spying. The Ministry of External Affairs, in a statement, welcomed the Veterans back home and appreciated the Amir of the State of Qatar for enabling the release.
“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,” the MEA said in its statement.
The release of the veterans is also a big diplomatic win for the nation as Qatar’s decision comes weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the sidelines of the COP28 Summit in Dubai.
PM Modi had said that, in the meeting, they discussed the well-being of the Indian community in Qatar.
Returning to their homeland, the seven Navy veterans lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ensuring diplomatic intervention necessary to secure their release.
The former Navy officers, accused of allegedly spying on a submarine programme, were first sentence to death there. However, due to diplomatic intervention by New Delhi, their capital punishment was commuted to an extended prison term by the Qatari court.
The external affairs ministry had assured the family members that they would mobilise all possible diplomatic channels for these veterans’ return.
Breathing in the air of their homeland, the seven Navy veterans arrived at the Delhi airport and raised chants of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’.
One of the veterans, spoke to ANI and hailed PM Modi for raising their sentencing with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani while also appreciating the continuous diplomatic efforts at his request.
“I feel relieved and delighted to finally be back home safe and sound. I wish to thank Prime Minister Modi as this wouldn’t have been possible had it not been for his personal intervention to secure our release. I also wish to express my gratitude to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamas Al Thani, the Emir of the State of Qatar,” he said.
#WATCH | Delhi: One of the Navy veterans who returned from Qatar says, “It wouldn’t have been possible for us to stand here without the intervention of PM Modi. And it also happened due to the continuous efforts of the Government of India.” pic.twitter.com/bcwEWvWIDK— ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2024
Another veteran, with a smile on his face, said that “Without the intervention of PM Modi, we would not have walked free. We wouldn’t be standing before you today had it not been for his untiring efforts and interventions at the highest levels to get us freedom.”
The former Navy officers waited for a period of 18 months before finally achieving freedom from the Qatar prison. One of the veterans also noted that the “personal equations” of PM Modi and Qatar’s Emir also played a part in their release.
#WATCH | Delhi: One of the Navy veterans who returned from Qatar says, “We waited almost for 18 months to be back in India. We are extremely grateful to the PM. It wouldn’t have been possible without his personal intervention and his equation with Qatar. We are grateful to the… pic.twitter.com/5DiBC0yZPd— ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2024
In January, the Court of Appeal had given the Navy veterans 60 days of time to appeal against their prison terms, which was given to them following the commutation of their death sentences, the external affairs ministry had said.
The newly appointed spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, had noted that the MEA’s legal team has the “confidential court order” which detailed the commutation of the death sentences to prison terms.
(With ANI inputs)
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