<p class="bodytext">The commutation of the death sentences of eight former personnel of the Indian Navy in Qatar is the first ray of hope in a saga that began in August 2022, when the men were detained, apparently on charges of espionage. An appeals court has now handed down varying jail terms to the eight men, which reportedly range from three to 25 years. The government has been engaged in the matter with the Qatar government discreetly. Unlike in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case, in which it was easy to put Pakistan in the dock and project Jadhav as a victim of the ISI, this time, political leaders made no public promises, revealed little about the charges, and only said they were making all efforts to ensure the best outcomes. The families too maintained a dignified silence despite their concerns that the government was not doing enough. But some kept the pressure up through social media, marking each month of the men's captivity and tagging top government functionaries, thus also putting the matter in the public domain.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The first concrete reassurance that the government was on their side they received was with Delhi's decision to appoint a lawyer and bear the expenses of the legal battle. This is set to continue. The families have said they are preparing to appeal against the jail sentences in Qatar's highest court, the Court of Cassation. The hope that the men might be sent to India to serve out their jail terms under the terms of a 2014 transfer of prisoners agreement may be still-born, as it seems the Qatar government has not ratified it yet.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A pardon from the Emir remains a possibility, but it will depend on how much more diplomatic capital the government wants to expend on this case. In whatever manner this ends, it is evident that the case has wider ramifications, going by the secrecy surrounding the charges as well as the details of the trial court's death sentence. No official word has been uttered, either in Qatar or India, with the exception of Delhi's regular description of the matter as “sensitive”. At the very least, the Indian government would be right to worry about the reputation costs of this imbroglio. After their retirement, which is often at a stage when they still have several working years ahead of them, Indian defence personnel go on to make other careers. Like the eight ex-Navy personnel in Qatar, some find jobs in foreign government, especially in small countries with which India has strong defence ties. Any shadow of suspicion by a new employer about their loyalty and integrity would have an adverse impact on the international image of the defence forces as well as on bilateral ties. The Qatar case is a wake-up call to the government to devise protocols for re-employment of defence personnel.</p>
<p class="bodytext">The commutation of the death sentences of eight former personnel of the Indian Navy in Qatar is the first ray of hope in a saga that began in August 2022, when the men were detained, apparently on charges of espionage. An appeals court has now handed down varying jail terms to the eight men, which reportedly range from three to 25 years. The government has been engaged in the matter with the Qatar government discreetly. Unlike in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case, in which it was easy to put Pakistan in the dock and project Jadhav as a victim of the ISI, this time, political leaders made no public promises, revealed little about the charges, and only said they were making all efforts to ensure the best outcomes. The families too maintained a dignified silence despite their concerns that the government was not doing enough. But some kept the pressure up through social media, marking each month of the men's captivity and tagging top government functionaries, thus also putting the matter in the public domain.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The first concrete reassurance that the government was on their side they received was with Delhi's decision to appoint a lawyer and bear the expenses of the legal battle. This is set to continue. The families have said they are preparing to appeal against the jail sentences in Qatar's highest court, the Court of Cassation. The hope that the men might be sent to India to serve out their jail terms under the terms of a 2014 transfer of prisoners agreement may be still-born, as it seems the Qatar government has not ratified it yet.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A pardon from the Emir remains a possibility, but it will depend on how much more diplomatic capital the government wants to expend on this case. In whatever manner this ends, it is evident that the case has wider ramifications, going by the secrecy surrounding the charges as well as the details of the trial court's death sentence. No official word has been uttered, either in Qatar or India, with the exception of Delhi's regular description of the matter as “sensitive”. At the very least, the Indian government would be right to worry about the reputation costs of this imbroglio. After their retirement, which is often at a stage when they still have several working years ahead of them, Indian defence personnel go on to make other careers. Like the eight ex-Navy personnel in Qatar, some find jobs in foreign government, especially in small countries with which India has strong defence ties. Any shadow of suspicion by a new employer about their loyalty and integrity would have an adverse impact on the international image of the defence forces as well as on bilateral ties. The Qatar case is a wake-up call to the government to devise protocols for re-employment of defence personnel.</p>
