What next as Qatar reduces death sentence of 8 Indian Navy veterans to jail term

New Delhi: With an appellate court in Qatar reducing the death sentence of eight former Indian Navy personnel, the big question is what will happen next to those veterans.

The veterans were arrested in an alleged case of espionage in August 2022.

The Navy veterans will have certain protection from a treaty on the transfer of sentenced persons signed between India and Qatar in December 2014 under the Modi government.

"The signing of the Treaty shall facilitate Indian prisoners imprisoned in Qatar or vice-versa to be near their families, for serving the remaining part of their sentence and shall facilitate their social rehabilitation," according to the treaty.

Prior to 2004, there was no domestic legislation under which foreign prisoners could be transferred to the country of their origin to serve the remaining part of their sentence, nor was there a provision for the transfer of prisoners of Indian origin convicted by a foreign court to serve their sentence in India.

Hence the Repatriation of Prisoners Act, 2003 was enacted for serving this purpose. To achieve the objectives of the Act, a Treaty/Agreement is required to be signed with countries having mutual interest with India.

The Government of India has signed such Agreements with the Governments of United Kingdom, Mauritius, Bulgaria, Brazil, Cambodia, Egypt, France, Bangladesh, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait, Sri Lanka, UAE, Maldives, Thailand, Turkey, Italy, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Israel, Russia, Vietnam and Australia. Negotiations have also been concluded with the Governments of Canada, Hong Kong, Nigeria and Spain.