India celebrates release of eight nationals detained in Qatar on reported spy charges

CNN —

Eight Indian nationals who were detained and sentenced to death in Qatar on reported espionage charges have been released, according to Indian authorities.

“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,” said the Ministry of External Affairs in a statement on Monday.

“We appreciate the decision by the Amir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of these nationals.”

Indian Navy officers gather on the deck of the Indian indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant during its commissioning at Cochin Shipyard in Kochi on September 2, 2022.

Related article India ‘deeply shocked’ after Qatar sentences 8 nationals to death on reported spy charges

The eight nationals were ex-servicemen of the Indian Navy, according to a letter dated to December 2022 by an Indian minister and posted by another parliament member on X, formerly Twitter.

They had been working for Dahra Global Technologies, a defense services provider based in Qatar, according to CNN News18.

Their conviction in Qatar was shrouded in secrecy, and it’s still not clear what offense they committed or what they were charged with. Qatar has not publicly addressed the arrest, sentencing and subsequent release of the eight Indian citizens.

CNN has previously reached out to Qatari authorities for comment.

CNN affiliate CNN-News18 reported at the time that the eight Indians had been detained in August 2022 on spying charges. CNN cannot independently verify the charges.

The Indian ministry has not shared details about the charges either, citing “the confidential and sensitive nature of proceedings of this