Uncharted Waters: Navy Veterans Await Clarity As Qatar Envoy Post Remains Vacant Since March-end

The post of Ambassador in Doha has been open for almost two months. Dipak Mittal, who was the last Ambassador to Doha, went back to India in March to work in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

Vipul, Joint Secretary (Gulf) of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), was thought to be his likely replacement, but the MEA has not made an official announcement yet, and the job has been open since the end of March.

Without an Ambassador, the families of the eight navy veterans who have been in solitary confinement in Doha since August 31, 2022, have felt like they have no idea what to do.

“It’s getting harder to find out about our guys in Doha. Since charges have been made and the case against these eight soldiers is being tried under Qatari law, our anxiety has gone up and we don’t know who to talk to about what will happen next, sources said.

The naval veterans still call home every week, and their most recent talks show that their patience is wearing thin and that they feel tortured and threatened while they are locked up.

“The talks we have with our men in Doha are short and watched by the Qatari government. Because of this, we haven’t been able to have an open conversation with them since they were arrested. Sources say that they have always said that they are innocent and that the charges against them are false.

Some of the soldiers’ wives, meanwhile, have been in Doha for a few weeks. They are able to talk to their husbands in person, but the chat is always formal because the Doha government is always listening.

Now that the eight naval veterans have lost their jobs, there is no money going to their families. As a result, the families in Doha are having a hard time making it on their own, especially since they don’t know what will happen at the next hearing in June for the naval veterans.