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The Indian men were arrested by Qatari authorities in August 2022 and kept in detention without specifying the crimes committed by them
Seven of the eight former Indian Navy sailors, who had been jailed in Qatar for months, returned to India in the early hours of Monday (Feb 12) after being freed as a result of months of negotiations by the Indian government.
In a statement, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) welcomed the release of eight Indian nationals and thanked the Qatari emir.
Videos of the sailors exiting the Delhi airport went viral on social media as netizens applauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government for its deft diplomacy.
Some of the sailors also thanked Modi upon their return.
India welcomes return of detainees
“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 MEA in a brief statement.
WATCH | Qatar commutes death sentence of 8 Indians, sentence reduced to 3-25 years in jail
The whereabouts of the one person who did not return to India are not immediately known.
The MEA added, “We appreciate the decision by the Amir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of these nationals.”
One of the freed people who returned to India said: “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.”
Another added: “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 Government of India from the bottom of our hearts for every effort that has been made and this day wouldn’t have been possible without those efforts.”
Why were the Indian nationals detained?
The Indian men were arrested by Qatari authorities in August 2022 and kept in detention without specifying the crimes committed by them. Months later, they faced charges filed on March 25, 2023, and underwent legal proceedings according to Qatari law.
In November, the eight Indian sailors who worked for Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services were handed a death penalty. At the time, New Delhi expressed shock over the verdict and vowed to explore all legal options to secure the release of its citizens.
In December, a Qatar court decided to reduce the death sentences handed to the eight Indian nationals who were convicted in connection with an alleged espionage case. The decision came after the acceptance of an appeal by the Indian government.
The then-MEA spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi, had said in December last year that New Delhi was concentrating its efforts on repatriating the eight nationals.
He also stressed India’s commitment to addressing the issue, adding that the government was actively working to bring its citizens back home as soon as possible.
Notably, very few details about the case have been provided by the Indian and Qatari sides since the men were detained in August 2022.
(With inputs from agencies)
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