Politics
India Celebrates: Qatar Releases 8 Navy Veterans After Lengthy Detention
India Celebrates: Qatar Releases 8 Navy Veterans After Lengthy Detention
On Sunday in Doha, eight Indian naval veterans who had been detained by Qatar since August 30, 2022, were freed. Early on Monday morning, seven out of the eight former death row inmates were taken by Indian officials to New Delhi via passenger airplane. The news that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Qatar on Wednesday afternoon en route to his home country from the United Arab Emirates, where he will spend two days on a visitation between February 13–14, came next. “We are glad to see seven of those Indian citizens return. The eighth Indian has also been freed, and Vinay Mohan Kwatra, the foreign secretary, stated, “We are still collaborating with the Qatari government to determine how soon he can return to India.”
Both Indian officials and the media were kept in the dark about the specifics of the case that led to the men’s detention, citing the issue as “sensitive.” A lower court in Qatar sentenced the men to death on October 26, 2023, a decision that shook India. A Doha court of appeals subsequently overturned the death penalty on December 28.
Since their arrest in August 2022 and the reason for their detention never being made public, the case of the eight Indian naval veterans has kept relations between Qatar and India on edge. The men had previously filed an appeal against the death penalty imposed by a Doha lower court, which was later modified to a sentence of different lengths for the eight people. Mr. Kwatra expressed gratitude to the Qatari authorities for their decision to free the Indians, stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi “personally supervised all developments.”
There had been earlier hopes that Qatar would release the eight men before Ramzan or Id. On February 13–14, Mr. Modi will visit the United Arab Emirates for two days; nevertheless, the news was made just one day earlier. Mr. Kwatra revealed Mr. Modi’s travel to Qatar during a special media event conducted here, even though the visit to the United Arab Emirates was already announced.
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Major energy supplier
At least eight lakh Indians are employed in Qatar, a key energy provider to India and a significant source of foreign remittances that support the Indian economy. Economic relations have continued to progress despite the case surrounding the eight Indian naval veterans. Most recently, a $78 billion LNG deal was struck by the two countries, extending their current arrangement to provide liquified natural gas (LNG) until 2048. “Our robust energy partnership, trade and investment ties, political ties, and ties in the fields of culture, education, and security are just a few of the many aspects of the bilateral relationship between India and Qatar that has been steadily growing,” Mr. Kwatra continued. During his visit, Mr. Modi will engage in formal talks with UAE leaders and take part in a devotional ceremony at the BAPS Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi.
