‘Govt will make all efforts to secure their release’: Jaishankar to families of 8 Indians on death row in Qatar

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met the family members of eight former Indian Navy personnel, who have been sentenced to death by a Qatari court, and assured them that the government will make all efforts to secure their release.

Jaishankar told them that the government attaches the ”highest importance” to the case and fully shares their ”concerns and pain”.

The eight Indians were on Thursday handed down death sentences by Qatar’s Court of First Instance, a ruling described as ”deeply” shocking by India which vowed to explore all legal options in the case.

”Met this morning with the families of the 8 Indians detained in Qatar. Stressed that the Government attaches the highest importance to the case. Fully share the concerns and pain of the families,” Jaishankar said on ‘X’.

”Underlined that the Government will continue to make all efforts to secure their release. Will coordinate closely with the families in that regard,” he said.

The Indian nationals, who worked with private company Al Dahra, were arrested in August last year reportedly in an alleged case of espionage. Neither the Qatari authorities nor New Delhi made the charges against the Indian nationals public. In its reaction to the ruling by the Qatari court, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday that it is attaching ”high importance” to this case and is exploring all legal options.

The charges were filed against these Indian Navy veterans on March 25 and they were tried under Qatari law.