Nimisha Priya, a Keralan nurse who is facing a death sentence in Yemen, is receiving active support from India. Her situation has attracted a lot of attention because of its intricacy and urgency, and the Indian government has reaffirmed its commitment to offering “all possible help” in it.
In order to provide for her family, Nimisha Priya, who was born in Kollengode in the Palakkad region of Kerala, relocated to Yemen in 2008. Before starting her own clinic, she worked in a number of hospitals. She and Talal Abdo Mahdi, her Yemeni business partner, got into a heated argument in July 2017 after she allegedly gave him sedative injections in an attempt to get her passport back. Priya was arrested while trying to leave Yemen after Mahdi tragically died from an overdose.
In 2020, a Yemeni court sentenced Priya to death after finding her guilty of murder in 2018. Rashad al-Alimi, the president of Yemen, just approved the death sentence after the Supreme Judicial Council of Yemen denied her appeal in November 2023. According to reports, she may be executed in as little as one month, which makes intervention even more urgent.
According to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), it is keeping a careful eye on the situation and is looking into every possibility of helping. The government is committed to helping Priya and her family explore possibilities for her release, including the potential to negotiate “blood money” (diyat) with the victim’s family, MEA spokeswoman Randhir Jaiswal stressed. Premakumari, Priya’s mother, has visited Yemen to discuss this choice and has
Iran has also taken notice of the matter because Iran-backed Houthi rebels control the area where Priya is detained. Regarding Priya’s predicament, an Iranian official said Iran will support any humanitarian assistance.
With continuous talks and diplomatic attempts to prevent her execution, India is making major efforts to assist Nimisha Priya during her difficult legal battle in Yemen.
