QATAR: FILIPINO MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR ESPIONAGE

A Doha Criminal Court has sentenced a Filipino man to death and two of his compatriots to life imprisonment after they were convicted of espionage, local Arabic daily Arrayah has reported.
The three were also accused of engaging in “intelligence communication” with a foreign country for the purpose of harming Qatar’s national security.
In its judgment, the court said the accused men had sent military and economic information related to the Qatar Armed Forces and a Qatari company to a second party. The information pertained to aircraft and tanks in addition to details of investment projects of a major company and its future contracts, according to the report.
When asked about the verdict, Philippine ambassador Crescente Relacion yesterday said: “They (three accused) were found guilty in the lower court of the crime of espionage. One was sentenced to capital punishment and the other two were given life imprisonment. Their case is on appeal in the Appellate Court and the first hearing is on May 26. If they do not receive a favourable judgment, they can go to the Court of Cassation or Supreme Court.
“There are defences, which were not considered by the lower court, including the allegation of torture to obtain confession.”