Trapped Between Two Worlds: Nimisha Priya’s Fight for Life as Time Runs Out in Yemen Prison

With Execution Postponed but Looming, Nimisha Priya’s Family Struggles Alone to Save Her Life in Yemen

The Centre on Friday told the Supreme Court that only the relatives of Nimisha Priya, the Indian nurse sentenced to death in Yemen, must negotiate a pardon with the victim’s relatives. It clearly stated that no outside person or organization must be brought into the negotiation process, whether with good intentions or otherwise.

Priya, 38, a Kerala-based nurse from Kollengode in the Palakkad district of Kerala, was found guilty in 2017 of killing a Yemeni national. She was given the death sentence in 2020, and her last appeal was dismissed by Yemen’s Supreme Judicial Council in November 2023. With all avenues of appeal now closed, her only recourse is to get a pardon under Islamic law by paying Diya, or blood money, to the victim’s family.

Govt: Family Is Solely Lawful in Its Stand

At the Supreme Court hearing on Friday, Attorney General R Venkataramani indicated that Nimisha Priya’s family had already named a power of attorney for the talks. He emphasized that they alone should be the ones leading the move to seek a pardon.

“I would myself recommend that her family, who have already issued a power of attorney, deal with all communication. No outsider, well-meaning though they be, should go in,” Venkataramani informed the court.

The Centre took this stand in reply to a plea for its intervention in the release of Priya. The Centre made it clear that though it keeps the case under watch, active mediation is not its job.

Religious Leader’s Initiative Sparks Surprise

The controversy surrounding third-party interference intensified earlier this week after the Grand Mufti of India, Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musaliyar, indicated that he had appealed to Yemeni Islamic scholars. He stated that he called for mercy and asked for Diya in place of capital punishment from Priya’s family.

“Compensation is provided in Islam in place of the death penalty. I asked them to accept Diyaat. After this, I came to know that the execution has been delayed,” said the Grand Mufti.

But the Ministry of External Affairs played down his role. Queried about the role played by the cleric, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “Regarding the role of the organization you have spoken of, I do not have any information to provide.”

Execution Delayed, Time Running Out

Priya is now in jail in Sana’a, the Yemeni capital that is held by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. Her execution was initially set for July 16 but has been temporarily postponed.

Against the backdrop of a looming deadline, her destiny is now hinged on effective talks between her family’s representative and the relatives of the victim. The Centre’s insistence emphasizes that the talks have to be a personal matter, with no scope for third-party intervention.