In a major diplomatic breakthrough for India, 8 Indian Navy veterans who had their death sentence commuted to prison terms in Qatar have been released. Seven of them are already back in India after an 18-month jail stay in the country.

“The Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for the Dahra Global company who were detained in Qatar. Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India. We appreciate the decision by the Amir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of these nationals,” the Foreign Ministry said.

The individuals from India, employed by the private company Al Dahra, were apprehended last August, on suspicion of espionage. In October, a Qatari court sentenced them to death, but the capital punishment was commuted to following India’s diplomatic intervention.

The Navy veterans, back in the country, thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government for securing their release.

“We are very happy that we are back in India, safely. Definitely, we would like to thank PM Modi as this was only possible because of his personal intervention,” said one of them.