Qatar Nightmare Ends As Former Indian Navy Personnel Return Home

By A Draft Correspondent

A nightmare that lasted for 18 months finally came to an end for eight former Indian Navy personnel, who were working in Qatar for a private firm named Dahra Global. They were accused of spying by the Qatari authorities in August 2022, but the charges and the evidence were never made public by either side.

Indian Prime Minister Modi with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani

They faced the ultimate punishment of death by a Qatari court in October 2023, which sent shockwaves across India and triggered a diplomatic crisis. The Indian government did not accept the verdict and launched a vigorous campaign to save their lives.

Their fate hung in the balance until December 2023, when Qatar's Court of Appeal reduced their death sentences to jail terms of different durations, from three years to 25 years. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs welcomed the decision, but also said that it would continue to pursue all legal avenues to challenge the verdict and seek their release.

The breakthrough came in February 2024, after a series of high-level talks between India and Qatar, involving Prime Minister Narendra Modi, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Prime Minister Modi had also met Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on the sidelines of the COP28 summit in Dubai in December 2023, and raised the issue of the bilateral relationship and the welfare of the Indian diaspora in Qatar.

On February 12, 2024, Qatar agreed to free the eight men as a goodwill gesture and a sign of friendship with India. Seven of them boarded a flight to India on the same day, while one of them chose to stay back in Qatar, where he had family ties.

The men were overjoyed to return to their homeland and reunite with their loved ones. They thanked Prime Minister Modi and the Indian government for their relentless efforts and support, and said that they owed their lives to them.