India has stated that it is looking into all possible legal actions after a court in Qatar gave a death sentence to eight former Indian naval officers, without specifying the charges.
According to reports, the men, who had jobs with a private company in Qatar, were arrested last year because they were believed to be spying.
Both Qatar and India have not told everyone what they are being charged with.
On Thursday, the government of India expressed their strong surprise and said they will discuss the decision with the authorities in Qatar.
India’s foreign ministry said that it is waiting for the detailed judgment and considers this case to be very important.
“We are staying in contact with the family and legal team. We are looking into all the legal choices we have. We cannot say more about this right now because the case details are confidential. ”
The text says that these men are workers for a company called Al Dahra, but many reports say that they used to work in the Indian Navy. Last year, in the government, the foreign minister called them “former soldiers” of the country. Some families have also told the local media about the identities and backgrounds of the men who serve in the Navy.
They were arrested last August and it was big news in India. However, not much is known about the charges against them.
According to The Hindu newspaper, the men were accused of doing something wrong with important information, but neither of the governments have confirmed this. The BBC could not check if the allegations were true on its own, but it has asked the Qatar embassy some questions.
Some smart people say that the current problems between two countries could have a negative effect on their relationship. There are more than 700,000 people from India in Qatar and we have a strong connection for trade and business. According to Former Indian ambassador to Qatar, Deepa Gopalan, the Indian government is closely monitoring the case and may have to address it at a high level to make sure that the lives of the people involved are protected.
In December, Mr. Jaishankar said that the government was talking with Qatar about a very delicate situation.
We prioritize their interests above everything else. Ambassadors and top officials frequently communicate with the government of Qatar. He said that they are our top priority.
Many people from India live in the Gulf region, and many of them have jobs that don’t require much skill and pay lower wages.
These migrant workers have been very important in developing the economies of Gulf Arab states and they also send a lot of money back to India.