While the case of Nimisha Priya, the Indian-origin nurse who is facing a death sentence in Yemen for the murder of a Yemeni national in 2017, remains grim currently, her family can take confidence from Iran’s latest declaration. “We will take up this issue regarding this nurse. We will do whatever we can,” a senior Iranian official told reporters in New Delhi on Thursday.
For context, Priya’s case is being tried in Sanaa, the administrative capital of Yemen. The city is under the control of the Iran-aligned Houthi militants. Thus, the declaration of help by the high-ranking Iranian official comes as a beacon of hope for the nurse’s family, who’s hoping for a reversal of the decision.
Earlier today, January 3, India’s Ministry of External Affairs provided an update on Priya, who hails from Kerala’s Palakkad district. “We are closely following the developments in Nimisha Priya’s case. The government is extending all possible help in the matter. We will see how this goes forward from here,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a press briefing.
India is closely following developments around the sentencing of Nimisha Priya. Government is extending all possible help in the matter: @MEAIndia Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Kerala Nurse #NimishaPriya who is facing a death sentence at the Central prison in Yemen pic.twitter.com/GgJ5dlUrcb
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) January 3, 2025
Earlier, Jaiswal had said that the Indian government is extending all possible help in the matter.
The death sentence, which could be executed within a month, was approved by Yemen’s President Rashad al-Alimi on December 30. Priya, who has been in prison since 2017, was arrested for the alleged murder of Yemeni national and her business partner Talal Abdo Mehdi in July 2017.
Priya’s family has been fighting for her release since then 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 provision of the killer paying a 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.
“It is still possible to hold talks with Mahdi’s family, convince them to pardon Priya possibly in exchange for blood money and secure her release. The Indian government can help locate the tribal leaders and the victim’s family and bring them to the table for talks,” said Subhash Chandran, a Supreme Court lawyer who appeared for Priya’s mother Prema Kumari in the Delhi high court, as quoted by the Hindustan Times.
VIDEO | Subhash Chandran, the lawyer of Nimisha Priya who was sentenced to death in Yemen requests intervention of the GoI and MEA in the case, he says, "Nimisha is convicted for murder of Yemeni national. He was her sponsor and during the time of Yemen war, she was tortured by… pic.twitter.com/sJ5iWH28yZ
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 1, 2025
“The ‘Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council’ will take care of the financial aspects of arranging the blood money,” the lawyer added. The council was formed in 2020 to help raise funds to secure Priya’s release.
