New Delhi, July 15:The Government of India on Monday informed the Supreme Court that it is undertaking “all possible efforts” to save Nimisha Priya, a Kerala nurse facing imminent execution in Yemen, but acknowledged the limitations of its diplomatic reach in the war-torn country.
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The Centre’s submission came during the hearing of a petition seeking urgent diplomatic intervention to prevent Priya’s scheduled execution on July 16, following her conviction in a 2017 murder case.
“All possible efforts are being made, but not much can be done as far as Yemen is concerned,” Attorney-General R. Venkataramani told the bench. The matter is now scheduled to be heard again on Friday.
Priya, 38, hailing from Palakkad district in Kerala, was sentenced to death in 2020 by a Yemeni court for the murder of her local business partner, Talal Abdo Mahdi. She was accused of injecting him with sedatives in an attempt to recover her passport, which was allegedly being withheld by the deceased. Reports indicate she had been subjected to prolonged abuse and exploitation. Her final appeal was dismissed in 2023, and she currently remains incarcerated in Sana’a, Yemen’s capital.
The plea before the Supreme Court was filed by the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, an organisation spearheading efforts to provide legal and diplomatic support to secure her release. During earlier proceedings, advocate Subhash Chandran K.R., appearing for the council, urged the government to explore all available diplomatic channels, citing Sharia law provisions under which blood money (diyya) may be offered to the victim’s family in exchange for a pardon.
“Under Sharia, if the family of the deceased agrees to accept compensation, they may pardon the accused,” Chandran submitted, pressing for urgent intervention given the proximity of the execution date.
The case has drawn significant attention both domestically and internationally, with human rights groups and public campaigns calling for a humanitarian resolution. However, the absence of diplomatic relations between India and Yemen, combined with the country’s ongoing civil unrest, has significantly complicated efforts.
As legal and humanitarian appeals intensify, the Supreme Court’s next hearing will likely focus on assessing any further recourse available to the government under international or consular law.
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