In a dramatic development, the execution of Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya, scheduled for July 16 in Yemen, has been temporarily postponed following sustained diplomatic intervention by the Indian government. Convicted of murdering her Yemeni business partner in 2017, Priya has been on death row since 2020, with her sentence upheld by Yemen’s Supreme Judicial Council in 2023.
Indian officials, despite limited diplomatic access due to Houthi control in Sanaa, have been in constant touch with local jail authorities and the prosecutor’s office. Attorney General R Venkataramani told the Supreme Court that India had “reached the limit” of what could be done officially, even involving influential sheikhs in negotiations.
Priya’s family, with support from the NGO ‘Save Nimisha Priya – International Action Council,’ is now in Yemen attempting to negotiate the payment of blood money—a provision under Sharia law—to the victim’s family. The Supreme Court has adjourned the matter to July 18. While the stay offers a ray of hope, the situation remains fragile, and the fate of the 38-year-old nurse still hangs in the balance.
