Media reports indicate that eight Indian nationals, who are former Indian Navy officers, have been detained in Qatar for several months on charges of spying related to Israel’s submarine program. There is a possibility that they may be subjected to the death penalty. These reports have been covered by various Indian, Pakistani, Israeli, and Arab media sources.
As reported by ThePrint, an Indian news outlet, The government of New Delhi has been granted consular access to the eight prisoners and has made efforts to secure their release. However, Doha has informed them that there is evidence suggesting that the former officers shared intelligence with Israel. The first trial for these Indian nationals took place in late March, and it is reported that another session is anticipated later this month.
According to Indian media reports, these individuals were identified as senior employees of Dahra Global Technologies and Consulting Services. This company was providing guidance for a Qatari program focused on acquiring advanced Italian-made submarines designed to evade radar detection.
As per last week’s report in the Pakistani newspaper, The News International, Qatar has decided to shut down the company. As a result, around 75 Indian nationals, the majority of whom have previous navy experience, have been informed that their employment will come to an end by the end of May.
Qatar is reportedly pursuing smaller submarines similar to the U212 Near Future Submarine, a collaborative Italian-German project. Israel is concerned about the spread of advanced military technologies in the Middle East, as it could diminish its U.S. – backed military advantage. India and Pakistan are also closely monitoring this submarine race, with Pakistan operating Italian-built midget submarines and strengthening ties with Qatar. India is apprehensive about Pakistan gaining access to stealth technologies within the new submarines. Initially, when the eight Indian nationals were arrested, there were accusations in Indian media, suggesting Pakistani involvement, but these claims were based on speculative social media posts.
In 2020, Qatar had entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Italian-based shipbuilding company Fincantieri SpA. This agreement encompassed the construction of submarines as part of a more extensive project that involved establishing a naval base and maintaining the military fleet. However, it appears that the MoU has not been put into action. A representative from Fincantieri informed Al Jazeera that the company presently has no ongoing contracts related to submarines with Qatar. Instead, they are focused on completing work on seven surface vessels, which include four corvettes, one amphibious vessel and two patrol vessels. This work is in accordance with a 2016 agreement made with the Qatari Ministry of Defence.
