Qatar sentenced eight Indian former naval officers to death on Thursday after finding them guilty of spying on the Gulf stateâs submarine programme for Israel. The Indian government âexpressed deep shockâ at the verdict, adding that âall legal options are being exploredâ. Qatar has made no public statements about the convictions, which come as its government plays a crucial role in brokering negotiations between Israel and Hamas to secure the release of civilian hostages captured by the Palestinian militant group during its October 7 assault on the Jewish state. A person briefed on the case confirmed to the Financial Times that the eight Indians had been charged with spying for Israel. They will be able to appeal against their sentences. The last execution in Qatar was in 2020, according to the World Coalition Against The Death Penalty. The Indian government statement said the Indians had been detained in Qatar in August last year. Israel did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Qatar does not have formal relations with Israel, but has been facilitating negotiations between the country and Hamas to release civilians among the more than 200 people the militant group captured during its October 7 attack. So far, four hostages have been released. Doha, the Qatari capital, which hosts Hamasâs political office, is now working on securing a deal to free all civilian hostages. But Hamas, which controls Gaza, wants Israel to agree to a pause in bombing to allow fuel and other aid into the besieged strip, according to a person briefed on the negotiations. Hamasâs attack, in which more than 1,400 people were killed, according to Israeli officials, triggered a war between Israel and the Islamist group. Israel has responded by launching an offensive against Hamas which has killed more than 7,000 people in Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials. The convictions risk sparking a diplomatic dispute between New Delhi and Doha, which have a strong trade relationship. Indiaâs external affairs ministry said it attached âhigh importance to this case and has been following it closelyâ. âThe ministry will continue to extend all consular and legal assistance and will also take up the verdict with Qatari authorities,â it said in a statement. Qatar is one of the worldâs largest exporters of liquefied natural gas, and India has been in talks to secure a new long-term LNG contract with Doha. India was the worldâs fourth-largest LNG importer in 2021, with more than 40 per cent of stocks shipped from Qatar, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
https://www.ft.com/content/c1649e9e-ec0f-4a1b-b4c2-acddf5c0b0bc
