A senior official from Delhi was sent to Doha to support the embassy’s efforts to secure the release of eight former Indian Navy personnel who have been in Qatari custody since the end of August. The official travelled to Doha at the end of October. With the eight men still not free after 71 days in custody, appeals have surfaced on social media, urging the Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers to expedite efforts for their release. These appeals reflect the growing concern among family members that their release has not yet been secured. Over the last 10 days, the government has been negotiating with the Qatar government, but there’s still no word of any breakthrough.
There is no information yet about the charges against the men, all of whom are said to be in solitary confinement, a punishment usually reserved for security-related offences. Doha has jailed and deported Indians in the past, but the jailing of a group of defense personnel, even if retired and in private employment, is unusual given the friendly relations between Delhi and Doha.
The detained men were allowed to speak to their families on the phone at the end of September and were granted consular access in October. However, there’s still no information about their charges. The Indian embassy in Doha became aware of their arrest in mid-September, about two weeks after they were picked up by Qatar’s intelligence agency.
The company where the eight men were employed, Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services, was training the Qatari Emiri Navy and providing logistics and equipment maintenance. The company’s website, which previously had information about its engagement with the Qatari navy and its top employees, has been taken down.
Efforts are being made for the release of the eight men, and the Ministry of External Affairs is in touch with their families. The spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs said that the detained persons had spoken to their families on a “few occasions.”
