The Yemen Embassy in India has clarified that Yemeni President Rashad Al-Alimi has not approved the death sentence of Malayali nurse Nimisha Priya.
The approval for the sentence came from Mehdi Al-Mashat, leader of the Houthi Supreme Political Council, who is described as a rebel president, reported Manorama Online.
The prison where the Indian nurse is currently lodged is located in the Houthi-controlled region of Yemen.
Iran, which supports the Houthi faction, has reportedly expressed willingness to mediate discussions, reported the Indian news portal.
Who is Nimisha Priya?
Nimisha Priya, who hails from Kerala, was found guilty of murdering a Yemeni national in 2017.
She is currently lodged at a prison in the Yemeni capital Sanaa.
The capital city is currently under the control of Iran-backed Houthis.
Priya’s family has been fighting for her release and has even approached Yemen’s Supreme Court against the trial court order.
The Yemeni Supreme Court had rejected the appeal in 2023.
Priya’s mother Prema Kumari reached Yemen earlier this year and has been staying in the capital city, while trying to explore options to waive her daughter’s death sentence.
The other way Priya could be saved is by paying ‘blood money’.
Yemen follows the Sharia law, which has the provision for the killer to pay financial compensation to the victim’s family to avoid harsh punishments like death sentences. The system is known as Diyya.
While no amount has been fixed so far, Priya’s family is hoping to utilise this method to save her.
