The Indian government has pledged full support for Nimisha Priya, a Kerala nurse sentenced to death in Yemen for the 2017 murder of a Yemeni national, Talal Abdo Mahdi. As per reports, the execution, approved by Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi, is scheduled to take place within a month. The MEA’s assurance comes in the backdrop that in past several instances, predomint being the case of Kulbhushan Jadhav, the Indian government has assured all possible help and brought seemingly best favourable and salvageable outcome for its citizens stranded, wrongly implicated or facing regressive judicial pronouncement in foreign or even in hostile nations like Pakistan.
Priya, in jail since 2017, was convicted of killing Mahdi while attempting to retrieve her seized passport. According to reports, she had injected Mahdi with a sedative that she had intended to knock him out temporarily; however, it turned out lethal. In 2018, a Yemeni court sentenced her to death, and recently, her plea in the Supreme Court was dismissed.
Expressing its concern, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reiterated its commitment to exploring all possible options to save Priya.
“We are aware of the sentencing of Ms. Nimisha Priya in Yemen. We understand that the family of Ms. Priya is exploring relevant options. The government is extending all possible help in the matter,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
Our response to media queries regarding the case of Ms. Nimisha Priya:https://t.co/DlviLboqKG pic.twitter.com/tSgBlmitCy
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) December 31, 2024
Priya’s family, especially her mother, Prema Kumari, has fought tirelessly to save her life. Kumari came to Yemen last year, staying in the capital Sanaa, in an attempt to negotiate blood money with Mahdi’s family, a customary Yemeni ritual that could have resulted in Priya’s sentence being remitted.
However, efforts to negotiate the blood money met with obstacles. In September, talks were halted when the Indian Embassy’s counsel, Abdullah Ameer, sought a $20,000 pre-negotiation fee, which was then raised to $40,000 and due in two installments. While the MEA had previously paid Ameer $19,871 in July, arguments over fees slowed the negotiation process.
Priya’s supporters, including the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, have raised funds for negotiations, but progress remains uncertain.
Priya moved to Yemen in 2011, establishing a clinic with Mahdi as her local partner. Her legal team claims she endured years of harassment and extortion, with Mahdi allegedly forging documents to claim he was her husband. Priya reportedly sought police help but was arrested herself, exacerbating her ordeal.
The case has sparked widespread concern, with Priya’s family and supporters urging authorities to intensify diplomatic efforts to save her life.
