{"id":160143,"date":"2025-03-26T19:21:49","date_gmt":"2025-03-26T13:51:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/?post_type=current-affairs&#038;p=160143"},"modified":"2025-03-26T19:21:49","modified_gmt":"2025-03-26T13:51:49","slug":"indias-approach-to-citizens-on-death-row-abroad","status":"publish","type":"current-affairs","link":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/current-affairs\/indias-approach-to-citizens-on-death-row-abroad","title":{"rendered":"India\u2019s Approach to Citizens on Death Row Abroad"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed the execution of Shahzadi Khan, an Indian citizen in the UAE, who had been <\/span><b>sentenced to death<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for allegedly murdering an infant.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>What is Death Row Abroad?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It refers to <\/span><b>situations <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">where individuals face<\/span><b> the death penalty<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in <\/span><b>foreign countries <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">due to <\/span><b>criminal convictions.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-160125 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/263-67e3fa6db2ffd.webp\" alt=\"Death Row Abroad\" width=\"457\" height=\"253\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/263-67e3fa6db2ffd.webp 381w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/263-67e3fa6db2ffd-300x166.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 457px) 100vw, 457px\" \/><b>Convictions Leading to Death Row:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Crimes like murder, rape, treason, or drug trafficking often result in <\/span><b>capital punishment<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in certain countries.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Data of Indians on death row 2025<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to MEA data presented in the Rajya Sabha on <\/span><b>March 20, 49 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indians are currently on death row in different countries.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The highest number of Indian nationals on death row is in t<\/span><b>he UAE (25 Indians), followed by 11 in Saudi Arabia.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Government Assistance:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indian Missions abroad provide<\/span><b> legal aid, consular access,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and help with<\/span><b> filing appeals or mercy petitions.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In some cases, sentences can be <\/span><b>commuted <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">by paying <\/span><b>blood money <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(compensation to the victim&#8217;s family), depending on the country&#8217;s laws.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Blood Money as an Alternative to Death Sentences<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In many<\/span><b> Gulf countrie<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">s, death sentences can sometimes be <\/span><b>commuted in exchange for \u201cblood money\u201d<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2014 Blood money refers to<\/span><b> the compensation <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">paid to <\/span><b>the victim\u2019s family as an alternative for retribution.<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This option requires approval from both the <\/span><b>state and the victim\u2019s family<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. However, the state may refuse if the crime is<\/span><b> particularly severe<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Challenges Faced by Indian Embassies<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Limited Role in Authoritarian Countries:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In countries like <\/span><b>Saudi Arabia<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, where judicial processes are often <\/span><b>non-transparent<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Indian embassies may not be informed about the arrest, trial, or sentencing until after the execution.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Confession of the Accused:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the accused confesses to the crime, the embassy\u2019s ability to intervene is further reduced.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Legal Aid in Open Judicial Systems:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In countries with more transparent systems, embassies can <\/span><b>nominate lawyers and provide legal aid<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> through welfare funds when needed.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>India\u2019s Successful Interventions in the Past<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Qatar Case:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In February last year, the Indian government\u2019s diplomatic efforts led to the release of <\/span><b>eight Indian Navy veterans<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> sentenced to death in<\/span><b> Qatar.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Indonesia Case:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Gurdip Singh<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, arrested in 2005 for drug trafficking in Indonesia, was sentenced to death.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite his appeals being rejected by higher courts, he was eventually spared after the <\/span><b>Indian government\u2019s intervention<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"vc_table_green\"><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.6375%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 111.19%; 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