New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has confirmed that the judgment on eight former Indian Navy personnel, who have been behind bars in Qatar since last August, is expected later this month.
The MEA also confirmed that charges against the former officers were presented as part of the hearings, but did not specify what they were.
There have so far been seven hearings in the case, with the latest taking place on 3 October.
In a weekly briefing Thursday, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said: “We understand the judgment is expected later this month. Our ambassador and deputy chief of prison met the eight men in prison on 1 October after they were granted consular access.”
“We have been in regular touch with the families too and we are rendering all possible assistance,” he added.
The eight former officers worked for Dahra Global Technologies & Consulting Services, a company that was engaged in training Qatari navy personnel. Last August, they were picked up by Qatari intelligence authorities and incarcerated in Doha.
“There was a hearing — the seventh hearing — earlier this month. We are closely following the court proceedings in what is called the court of first instance,” Bagchi said, referring to a court in which legal proceedings are first heard.
Legal proceedings against the eight officers were reported to have begun on 29 March this year.
Asked if charges had been brought before the court, the MEA spokesperson said: “Yes, the charges were presented as part of the hearings but I would not like to get into the legal part of it. They have legal representation in court. We are looking forward to what the court judgment is and we hope they are able to return to India.”
Since the case commenced, the Indian government and Qatari authorities have not revealed what the charges are against the former naval officers.
However, ThePrint reported in April that the officers have allegedly been accused of spying on the Gulf nation’s secretive programme to obtain Italian-made, high-tech submarines coated with metamaterials that make their detection difficult.
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