25 Indian nationals have been awarded the death sentence in the United Arab Emirates (UAE); the judgement is yet to be carried out, the government informed Parliament Thursday. This information was shared by Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh in a written response to a question raised in Rajya Sabha.
It sought to know the number of Indians in foreign prisons for years, the number of Indians threatened with capital punishment abroad and the protection efforts undertaken by the Indian government to save their lives.
According to the MEA, the total number of Indian prisoners, including undertrials, in foreign prisons is 10,152 and adding to it are those already convicted and then released.
He reminded us that the government attaches great importance to the safety and well-being of Indian nationals abroad, including those incarcerated abroad.
In addition, the minister shared country-by-country data on the number of Indians sentenced to death but whose executions are still pending. The only other figures included are the UAE’s 25 and Indonesia’s 11 Indian nationals awaiting execution, Qatar at six, the United States at three, and Yemen with one.
We have taken all necessary steps on matters related to Indian Missions and Posts abroad, which are providing all possible assistance, including to Indian nationals sentenced in foreign courts, including those facing the death penalty, Singh said. In addition to visiting prisons, these missions go beyond consular access and follow up with courts, jails, public prosecutors and other relevant authorities after the fact in all these cases.
Legal remedies related to appeals and mercy petitions are also provided for jailed Indian nationals. When asked to respond to another query, the minister confirmed that capital punishments have been carried out by Indian nationals in Malaysia, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia in the past five years.
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