The ministry of external affairs (MEA) on Tuesday said it would extend “all possible help” to secure the release of Nimisha Priya, a nurse from Kerala who has been awarded the death sentence in Yemen.
On Monday, President of Yemen Rashad al-Alimi confirmed her death sentence for allegedly murdering a Yemeni man, Talal Abdo Mehdi, in 2017.
Nimisha Priya was arrested while attempting to flee the country and sentenced to death in 2020. Her appeal was rejected by Yemen's supreme judicial council in November 2023.
"We are aware of the sentencing of Ms. Nimisha Priya in Yemen," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
"We understand that Priya's family is exploring relevant options, and the government is extending all possible assistance in the matter," he added.
According to Sharia law, a victim of a crime or their family can choose to forgive the perpetrator for a monetary compensation, reported The Indian Express. This ‘blood money’ or ‘diyya’ is a pardon for the person who committed a crime, securing their release.
In November 2023, a $40,000 payment was made to get negotiations started on Nimisha Priya's behalf. Her family will likely have to pay close to $400,000 more in order to waive the death penalty, reported The Indian Express.
In 2020, the ‘Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council’ was formed, and they are currently trying to raise the funds required to secure her release.
Subhash Chandran KR, a Supreme Court lawyer who appeared for Priya’s mother Prema Kumari in the Delhi high court, said the Indian government’s intervention in the matter will help delay the execution of the death sentence and bring the victim’s family to the negotiation table.
“It is still possible to hold talks with Mahdi’s family, convince them to pardon Priya possibly in exchange for blood money and secure her release. The Indian government can help locate the tribal leaders and the victim’s family and bring them to the table for talks. The council (SNPIAC) will take care of the financial aspects of arranging the blood money,” Chandran said.
Subhas Chandran told NDTV that due to a Houthi takeover in Yemen and the difficulty of travelling there.
Nimisha Priya, hailing from Kollengode in Kerala's Palakkad district, moved to Yemen in 2008 and married Tomy Thomas in Kerala in 2011. They wanted to open their own clinic but Yemeni law requires a local partner in order to do that. Talal Abdo Mahdi, was a regular at the clinic where Nimisha Priya worked and asked him for help in the matter, and he obliged.
While Nimisha Priya managed to return to Yemen, the civil war that began in 2014 kept her husband and daughter in Kerala.
In Yemen, Mahdi opened a new clinic but reportedly refused to share any of the earnings with Nimisha Priya. He also allegedly forged documents to present her as his wife and even physically and sexually abused her, news agency ANI reported. Nimisha Priya eventually took to sedating him and caused a drug overdose that killed the man.
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