Source: The Hindu

Why in News?

Recently, a Qatar Court has commuted the death sentence of 8 Indian navy veterans in Dahra Global Case into varying jail terms. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed the commutation of death sentence.

What is the Background of Dahra Global Case?

• 30^th August 2022:
  • 8 Indian Navy Men were arrested in Doha, by Qatari Intelligence Services.
• 1^st March 2023:
  • Qatar court rejected their bail applications.
• 28^th October 2023:
  • Court of First Instance at Qatar sentenced all of them to death.
• 28^th December 2023:
  • The Court of Appeal in Qatar commuted the death sentence into jail terms.

What Can be the Next Step?

• Appeal:
  • The Indian Legal team has a 60 days' time to appeal against the jail terms of the 8 navy men.
• Application of Treaty:
  • There is a Treaty on transfer of sentenced persons between India and Qatar which can be invoked if the aforementioned appeal against jail term fails.

What is the Treaty Between Indian and Qatar?

• Signing of Treaty:
  • The Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister gave approval to the signing of the treaty concerning the transfer of sentenced persons between India and Qatar on 2^nd December 2014.
• Purpose of Treaty:
  • This treaty's implementation enabled Indian prisoners incarcerated in Qatar, or vice versa, to be in proximity to their families while serving the remaining portion of their sentences.
  • It was signed with the aim of social reintegration.
• Repatriation of Prisoners Act, 2003:
  • Before 2004, there was no domestic legislation allowing foreign prisoners to be transferred to their home country for the remainder of their sentence.
  • Furthermore, there was no provision for the transfer of individuals of Indian origin convicted by foreign courts to serve their sentences in India.
  • To address this gap, the Repatriation of Prisoners Act, 2003 was enacted.
  • To achieve the Act's objectives, the signing of a Treaty/Agreement was necessary with countries that share mutual interests with India.
• Similar Treaty with Other Nations:
  • The Government of India has already entered into Agreements with the governments of the 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.