India appeals Qatar death sentences for eight naval personnel in spy case

New Delhi has formally appealed against death sentences handed to eight former Indian naval personnel by a court in Qatar.

The veterans, working for a private security company, were sentenced to death on October 26, for alleged espionage.

The Indian government’s appeal against the sentence was confirmed by Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, at a briefing on Thursday.

The judgment is “confidential and has only been shared with the legal team alone,” Bagchi told reporters. “Indian representatives met all the eight detainees on death row on November 7.”

The Ministry of External Affairs didn’t elaborate on the charges, the legal strategy they intend to pursue, or the grounds for the appeal.

Qatar hasn’t made public any details about the case.

Inability to swiftly secure the release of the veterans has led to questions about India’s influence at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi — who seeks a third term in office in next year’s federal election — champions the country’s rising international prestige and importance among voters.

The death sentences also pose a fresh diplomatic headache for Modi’s government, which is already embroiled in a dispute with Canada over the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in the country.

India has dismissed those allegations, calling them “absurd.”

India will continue to engage Qatar and extend “legal and consular support to the detained men,” Bagchi said.