The Qatari Court on Thursday commuted the death penalty sentence of eight ex-Indian naval officers it had arrested last year in the Dahra Global case, Ministry of External Affairs said in a press statement. The sentence has now been reduced to jail terms. Describing the judgement, Ministry of External Affairs said, “We have noted the verdict today of the Court of Appeal of Qatar in the Dahra Global case, in which the sentences have been reduced.” MEA added, “The detailed judgement is awaited. We are in close touch with the legal team as well as the family members to decide on the next steps. Our Ambassador to Qatar and other officials were present in the Court of Appeal today, along with the family members. We have stood by them since the beginning of the matter and we will continue to extend all consular and legal assistance. We will also continue to take up the matter with the Qatari authorities.” The eight Indian nationals have been imprisoned in Qatar since October 2022 and were accused of allegedly spying on a submarine programme. The retired naval personnel were sentenced to death by a Qatar court on charges that have not yet been made public officially. Earlier this month, MEA informed that two hearings have taken place in the case. “There have been two hearings. We filed an appeal, with the families, and the detainees had a final appeal. Two hearings have since been held. One was on November 30th and the other was on November 23rd. I think the next hearing is coming up soon,” Bagchi said. Moreover, the Court of First Instance of Qatar passed the judgement against them, according to a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs. The MEA spokesperson also highlighted the recent meeting that took place between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad and said that they have had a good conversation on the overall bilateral relationship. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on the sidelines of the COP28 summit in Dubai and discussed bilateral partnership and the “well-being of the Indian community” living in Qatar.  Source: ANI  

Canberra says the target was a dual Iranian-Australian citizen who had joined anti-Iran government protests in Australia. The home affairs minister wants to do more to tackle foreign interference. Australia has discovered an Iranian surveillance operation targeting a dual Iranian-Australian citizen who had joined protests in Australia following the death of Jina Mahsa Amini, Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil said on Tuesday. The allegations of spying by Iran comes amid a crackdown on anti-government protests across Iran that have shaken the Islamic Republic in a way comparable to the revolution that brought the regime to power 44 years ago. "It is perfectly legal for anyone in Australia to criticize a foreign regime, as tens of thousands of people across the country have been doing in response to events in Iran," O'Neil said in a speech to the Australian National University's (ANU) national security college. "What we absolutely will not tolerate, under any circumstances, are attempts by foreign regimes to disrupt peaceful protests, encourage violence or suppress views." Canberra says it bust the spying operation The minister did not provide any details about the surveillance operation, but said that it had included "extensive research" on the individual "and their family." O'Neil added that Australia's own agencies "were on it like a shot." "We're not going to stand back and have Australians or indeed visitors to our country, watched and tracked by foreign governments on our soil." She went on to call for a "national conversation" on the issue and said she had tasked Australia's own spy agencies with coming up with programs for those communities most likely to be targeted by foreign actors. "Because we don't just need to disrupt these operations, but deter future ones by imposing costs on their sponsor through outing them, where possible to do so," she said. Universities targeted in particular O'Neil did not refer to China in her speech, but a 2018 law against foreign interference came with allegations of Chinese involvement in Australian politics and universities by then-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. O'Neil did, however, refer to the particular interest in Australia's universities. "It should be no secret or surprise the university sector is a target of foreign interference," she said. The Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO) "has stated that foreign intelligence services and their proxies 'are all too willing to take advantage of the openness that is integral to our universities and research institutions to steal intellectual property and cutting-edge technologies,'" she added.

A former Iranian deputy defense minister with dual British citizenship has been executed, according to Iranian media. The death sentence had sparked international condemnation. Iran has executed a former Iranian deputy defense minister with dual British-Iranian nationality after convicting him of spying for the UK, the country's judiciary news agency, Mizan, reported on Saturday. "Ali Reza Akbari, who was sentenced to death on charges of corruption on earth and extensive action against the country's internal and external security through espionage for the British government's intelligence service ... was executed," Mizan said. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wrote on Twitter that he was "appalled by the execution" of Akbari. "This was a callous and cowardly act, carried out by a barbaric regime with no respect for the human rights of their own people. My thoughts are with Alireza’s friends and family," he added. Iran has one of the highest rates of execution in the world, with those sentenced to death being killed by hanging. What were the accusations against Akbari? Iranian authorities claim that Akbari had worked for the UK's MI-6 intelligence agency and had held "extensive meetings with enemy intelligence officers in various countries over a long period of time," according to Mizan. Iran said that Akbari had been involved in the 2020 killing of the country's top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. They also broadcast a video of Akbari confessing that he had been asked by a British agent about Fakhrizadeh. But no evidence for the claims has been given. The BBC's Persian service broadcast an audio clip of Akbari on Wednesday in which he said he had confessed to crimes that he had not committed after being tortured. Iranians who have dual citizenship, especially with the UK or US, are frequently arrested under espionage charges. Iran's domestic problems Both the UK and US have condemned the conviction as politically motivated. "The charges against Ali Reza Akbari and his sentencing to execution were politically motivated. His execution would be unconscionable," US State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said. "We are greatly disturbed by the reports that Mr. Akbari was drugged, tortured while in custody, interrogated for thousands of hours, and forced to make false confessions.'' Tehran has blamed interference from foreign countries for the recent monthslong protests that have shaken the Islamic Republic and undermined the institution of rule by religious clerics. It also comes at a low point for relations between Iran and the West following the breakdown of the Iran nuclear deal, the selection of hardline conservative Ebrahim Raisi as president, and Iran's role in supplying Russia with drones that have been used to attack Ukraine.

Yuesheng Wang, whose work at public utility Hydro-Quebec related to battery materials, is accused of allegedly trying to steal trade secrets to benefit Beijing. Canadian authorities arrested an employee of public utility firm Hydro-Quebec on Monday and charged him with espionage for allegedly trying to steal trade secrets and sending them to China. Yuesheng Wang, 35, was an employee and researcher for the firm whose work related to battery materials, said the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Wang was taken into custody at his home in Candiac, a suburb of Montreal, and due to appear in court on Tuesday. He is accused of obtaining trade secrets, using a computer without authorization, deception to gain trade secrets, and breach of trust by public officer. The public utility company Hydro-Quebec oversees the production, transmission, and distribution of electricity within the Canadian province as well as its export to parts of the northeastern United States. How was the crime committed? According to the RCMP, its national security enforcement team started investigating Wang after a complaint from Hydro-Quebec. Wang worked in a facility that developed technologies for energy storage and electric automobiles. He had been recently fired citing "serious breaches of the company's code of ethics." The researcher is accused of allegedly using his position to carry out research for a Chinese university and other Chinese research institutions while working for Hydro-Quebec, according to RCMP Inspector David Beaudoin. "He obtained this information to benefit the Peoples Republic of China to the detriment of Canada's economic interest," Beaudoin said. Wang allegedly submitted patent applications and published scientific publications in "association with this foreign actor rather than with Hydro Quebec," according to the RCMP inspector, using Hydro-Quebec data without permission or knowledge. Referring to the espionage charge under the Security of Information Act, Beaudoin said it was "the first time this charge has been laid in Canada." According to the police, Wang committed the crimes between February 2018 and October 2022. The race for EV dominance China is now the world's largest supplier of materials for batteries used in electric vehicles, while Canada is attempting to increase local manufacturing of EV batteries and battery components. "The fact that this alleged espionage was with respect to the battery ecosystem just reminds me how careful we'll need to be," Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said. Invoking national security, Canada recently demanded that three Chinese corporations sell their holdings in crucial Canadian resources. Since the detention of Huawei Technologies executive Meng Wanzhou in 2018 and Beijing's subsequent arrest of two Canadians on spying charges, diplomatic relations between Canada and China have been frayed. The tensions have since eased following the release of all three people last year.