In an important legal intervention, the Supreme Court of India on Thursday agreed to hear a petition that seeks to save Nimisha Priya, a nurse from Kerala, from being executed in Yemen. The 38-year-old woman is reportedly on death row and is scheduled for execution on July 16.
A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi listed the matter for hearing on July 14 after advocate Subhash Chandran KR, who is representing the petitioner, emphasized the need for urgency in pursuing diplomatic options. The counsel also raised the possibility of paying blood money, a provision under Sharia law, that may persuade the victim’s family to pardon her.
The apex court has directed that a copy of the petition be served to the Attorney General of India, seeking his assistance in the matter.
Nimisha Priya, a 38-year-old nurse from Palakkad district in Kerala has been facing the death penalty in Yemen. Nimisha will be executed on July 16 as she is convicted of the murder of a Yemeni citizen in 2017. Nimisha’s case has become a human rights movement rallying point, with the Indian government, activists, and civil society groups launching 11-hour appeals to have her spared.
Who is Nimisha Priya? All you need to know
Hailing from Kollengode in Kerala Nimisha Priya came to Yemen in 2008 to take care of her ageing parents and provide them support in daily living. Before opening her own clinic, Nimisha had worked in several hospitals.
Foreign nationals must have a local partner in order to start a business as per the Yemeni law. Nimisha got into a partnership with Talal Abdo Mahdi, Yemeni citizen in 2014. The partnership got worse later and had resulted in a series of unfortunate events that would drastically alter the direction of her life.
What Happened after?
Everything got changed after 2 years, Nimisha registered a complaint against Mahdi after an issue in 2016 that led to his brief arrest. Nimisha’s family claimed that Mahdi continued to harass and threaten her after his release from jail, In 2017, Mahdi reportedly confiscated Nimisha’s passport for trapping her in Yemen.
In a bid to get her passport back, Nimisha allegedly gave Mahdi sedatives to render him unconscious, but the dose was lethal. He succumbed shortly afterward. Yemeni officials arrested Nimisha as she attempted to flee the country. Her actions, which her family maintains were not meant to kill, resulted in a murder conviction in 2018.
Why is Nimisha Priya Being Executed?
Serious set of events unfolded later in 2020, Nimisha Priya was sentenced to death. The verdict was said by a Yemeni trial court. In November 2023, Yemen’s Supreme Judicial Council had confirmed Nimisha’s sentence which was later approved by Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi.
According to Yemeni law, a murder by hanging can be prevented if the victim’s family agrees to accept diyah, or blood money which is a legal settlement. Indian officials and Nimisha’s family have explored this option, but several obstacles have thwarted the attempts.
Despite first attempts to negotiate and raise money, the settlement is yet to come. The negotiations apparently collapsed in September 2024 when the lawyer deployed by the Indian Embassy insisted on a fee to start with, which initiated delays and mistrust.
Nimisha’s mother, Prema Kumari, who is a domestic worker in Kochi, sold their residence and even went as far as Yemen to request personally the victim’s family. However, even though she made an emotional appeal and citizen-led campaigns, the family has not consented to accept the blood money.
The petition has been filed by the “Save Nimisha Priya – International Action Council,” an organisation that has been providing legal and diplomatic support to secure her release. According to a recent media report cited in the plea, the Yemeni authorities have set July 16 as the tentative date for her execution.
As the countdown begins, campaigners and legal experts are urging the Indian government to act quickly and use diplomatic intervention to prevent the execution.
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