Qatar commutes death sentence of Indian naval officer

The Justice Department said in a statement that "the sentence has been shortened," but did not say what new sentence awaits him.

Neither Qatar nor India have released specific charges against the men. The FT and Reuters, citing unnamed sources, reported that the men were accused of spying for Israel.

A spokesman for Israel's embassy in India declined to comment, saying it was "not an Israeli issue". India's Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday: "Due to the confidential and sensitive nature of the proceedings in this case, it would not be appropriate to comment further."

In October, India said it was "deeply shocked" after the men were sentenced to death. He later appealed the court's decision.

The men's arrests made headlines in India last year, but there is little confirmed information about the charges against them. The court's decision was not made public. The Indian government said the eight were employees of a private company called Al-Dahra, but are believed to be former members of the Indian Navy. Last year, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar described them in Parliament as the country's "ex-servicemen". Some of the men's family members also confirmed their identities and time in the Navy to local media.

Earlier this month, India's ambassador to Qatar met people in prison. On Thursday, India said its ambassador and other officials attended the hearing at the Qatari appeals court along with the man's relatives.

"We are waiting for a detailed ruling from the court. "We are in close contact with the legal team and the family to determine the next steps," the Department of Justice said.