A Death Sentence in Qatar Tests India’s Carefully Constructed Mideast Ties

Eight former Indian Navy personnel were sentenced on charges of spying

Updated Oct. 27, 2023 8:34 am ET

Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani delivers a speech in Doha, Qatar. The sentencing of eight Indian men in Qatar risks sparking a diplomatic dispute between the two countries. Photo: amiri diwan/Reuters

India expressed shock after a court in Qatar sentenced eight former Indian Navy personnel to death on charges of spying, a ruling that risks sparking a diplomatic dispute between the two countries.

The eight include seven officers and a sailor who were arrested in August 2022 by Qatari intelligence authorities on allegations of espionage, people familiar with the matter said. The Gulf state alleged the men were spying on its submarine program for Israel, one of the people said.

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