New Delhi:

India’s Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday that the eighth former Indian Navy veteran “needs to fulfill certain requirements” and clarified his identity. He was sentenced to death by a Qatari court for an espionage case and was later released.

At a press conference on Thursday, MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: “I have said time and time again that he has certain demands that need to be fulfilled. When these demands are fulfilled, he will come back. This is where the story comes from .”yes. “

While families of Navy veterans are anxiously pleading for their release and safe return to their home countries, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has assured that all diplomatic channels will be mobilized and legal assistance will be arranged to bring them back to their home countries.

The Navy veterans – Capt Navtej Singh Gill, Capt Saurabh Vasisht, Capt Purnendu Tiwari, Capt Birendra Kumar Verma, Capt Sugunakar Pakala, Capt Sanjeev Gupta, Capt Amit Nagpal and Sailor Ragesh – were detained in August 2022.

In an earlier briefing, Jaiswal mentioned, “As you are aware, all eight Indian nationals involved in the Al Dahra Global case have been released.”

“Seven of them have returned to India…The eighth Indian national needs to fulfill certain requirements. When those requirements are completed, he will return. So, this is our situation with the eighth national.”

On December 28, 2023, the Qatar Court of Appeal commuted the death sentences imposed on all eight men in October 2023.

The eight Indian nationals have been held in Qatar since October 2022, accused of spying on submarine programmes.

A court in Qatar sentenced the retired navy personnel to death on charges that have not been officially made public.

Earlier, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the sidelines of the COP28 summit in Dubai to discuss bilateral partnerships and Qatar “Wellbeing of the Indian Community”.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)