The execution of Indian nurse Nimisha Priya on death row in Yemen has been put on hold by the authorities there, sources informed on Tuesday. The death sentence was to be carried out on Wednesday.
Priya from Kollengode in Kerala's Palakkad district has been convicted of killing a Yemeni national in July, 2017. Reports suggest that the local authorities had put on hold the execution of July 16.
A Yemeni court sentenced her to death in 2020, and the nation's Supreme Judicial Council rejected her appeal in November 2023. The 38-year-old nurse is currently detained in a prison in Sana'a, the Iran-backed Houthi-controlled capital city of Yemen, where India does not have diplomatic representation and does not officially acknowledge the ruling regime. These circumstances have restricted the Indian government's intervention. Matters are made worse by the tribal nature of Yemen, which is an integral part of conflict resolution. Nevertheless, India has lodged a formal request for a stay on execution and is pursuing informal avenues, including influential religious figures.
Also read: Muslim leader’s intervention sparks hope in Nimisha Priya case
One of the key figures in the effort is Grand Mufti of India Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar, who has directly intervened in the case. His representatives are now in direct contact with the family of Talal Abdo Mahdi, including his brother. This is the first time a close family member has come to the negotiation table.
The negotiations are conducted according to Sharia law, where the convict is legally entitled to be pardoned by the victim's family either unconditionally or in lieu of blood money, which is a type of monetary compensation accepted in Islamic law.
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