India has said it is exploring all legal options after a court in Qatar sentenced eight former Indian naval officers to death on unspecified charges.
Reports say the eight men, who worked with a private company in Qatar, were arrested on spying charges last year.
Neither Qatar nor India have revealed the specific charges against them.
On Thursday, the Indian government said it was “deeply shocked” and will take up the verdict with Qatari authorities.
The country’s foreign ministry said it was awaiting the detailed judgment and attaches “high importance to this case” and “have been following it closely”.
“We are in touch with the family members and the legal team, and we are exploring all legal options,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that it will not make further comment because of the “confidential nature of proceedings of this case”.
Millions of Indians live in the Gulf, where they work as semi-skilled and unskilled low-income workers.
These migrant workers have played a key role in building the economies of Gulf Arab states and also make an important source of income for India.
Reports say the eight men used to work for defence services company in Doha. Their arrest in August last year had made front page headlines in India.
According to The Hindu newspaper, the men were allegedly accused of “breaching sensitive secrets” but neither of the governments have confirmed this. The BBC could not independently verify the allegations but has reached out to the Qatar embassy with questions.
Experts say the recent diplomatic tensions could impact relations between the two countries. “There are over 700,000 Indians in Qatar and we have close economic ties. The Indian government has been following the case closely without doubt, but would need to take it up at the highest level to ensure their lives are saved,” Former Indian ambassador to Qatar Deepa Gopalan told The Hindu.
In December, India’s Foreign Minister S Jaishankar told the parliament that the government had been in constant touch with Qatar over the “very sensitive case”.
“Their interests are foremost in our minds. Ambassadors and senior officials are in constant touch with Qatar’s govt. We assure, they’re our priority,” he said.
