Follow TNM's WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links.
The Union government has said that India’s scope for action in stalling the execution of Malayali nurse Nimisha Priya in Yemen is limited due to the country’s political instability and lack of diplomatic recognition. "There is not much the government can do as Yemen is not diplomatically recognised,” Attorney General R Venkataramani told the Supreme Court on Monday, July 14.
The AG made this statement while the Supreme Court was hearing an urgent Public Interest Litigation seeking the court to direct the Union government to take steps to stall the execution of Nimisha Priya that is scheduled for July 16. She is facing the death sentence for the alleged murder of a Yemeni national in 2017.
A Bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta acknowledged the gravity of the situation, but refrained from issuing any immediate directive. The matter has been listed for further hearing on July 18.
Nimisha Priya is scheduled to be executed on July 16, following a 2020 conviction and confirmation of her death sentence by Yemen’s Supreme Judicial Council in November 2023. The execution has been sanctioned by Yemeni president Rashad al-Alimi.
Her family is currently attempting to negotiate a settlement through "blood money" (diya) with the victim's family, as allowed under Sharia law. An offer of USD 1 million (approximately Rs 8.6 crore) has reportedly been made.
“Blood money is a private negotiation," the AG stated in court, according to Live Law. He added, “We have reached the limit of what the government can do. Yemen is not like any other part of the world. We didn’t want to complicate the situation by going public. We are trying at a private level, through a sheikh and influential people there.”
The petitioner, Save Nimisha Priya Action Council’s counsel informed the court that Nimisha's mother, Prema Kumari, is presently in Yemen trying to negotiate with the victim’s family, but is herself a domestic worker with limited resources. "Funds are up to us. The only thing that is possible today to avoid the death sentence is convincing the victim’s family," the counsel submitted, urging the court to direct Union government support.
Justice Mehta called the situation “a sensitive issue” and expressed concern: “The real cause of concern is the manner in which the incident took place. If she [mother] loses her… it’s very sad.”
In response to the petitioner’s plea for embassy officials to accompany Prema Kumari to the prison in Yemen, the AG confirmed, “That’s happening.” However, when the petitioner requested the court pass an order to ensure the execution is deferred if any link is established for negotiation, Justice Mehta replied, “How can we pass that order? Who is going to follow it?”
Justice Nath asked the petitioner, “Now what do you want from us?” reiterating the court’s limitations. The petitioner requested informal government assistance, emphasising, “If this effort makes 0.1% difference, let money not be a stumbling block.”
The court relisted the matter for Friday, July 18, noting that the government is already doing its best through informal diplomatic backchannels. “Let this be an informal communication,” said Justice Mehta. The AG concluded, “All of us pray that something positive may happen.”
Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar requesting urgent intervention, citing the humanitarian nature of the case. Religious and political leaders from Kerala, including Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar and several MPs, have also intervened to support the family's ongoing efforts in Yemen.
Nimisha Priya, a nurse from Palakkad in Kerala, moved to Yemen in 2008. In 2017, after a dispute with her Yemeni business partner Talal Abdo Mahdi, who allegedly abused her and confiscated her passport, she reportedly injected him with a sedative in an attempt to recover her documents. Mahdi died due to an overdose, and Nimisha was arrested and later sentenced to death.