Official announcements from the Indian government, Yemeni authorities, or credible news reports

India Aids Kerala Nurse Nimisha Priya Amid Yemen's Death Sentence Approval for 2017 Murder

Dec 31, 2024, 05:49 AM

The Indian government is extending all possible assistance to Nimisha Priya, a nurse from Kerala sentenced to death in Yemen for the 2017 murder of a Yemeni national, Talal Abdo Mahdi. Yemen's President Rashad al-Alimi has approved the death sentence, which was initially handed down in 2020. Priya's family is exploring options to save her life, including negotiations for 'blood money,' a traditional practice in Yemen that could potentially lead to the commutation of her sentence. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, confirmed the government's awareness of the sentencing and its commitment to aiding Priya's family. Efforts to negotiate blood money have faced challenges, with the appointed lawyer demanding a pre-negotiation fee. Priya, who has been in a Yemeni prison since 2017, allegedly killed Mahdi in an attempt to retrieve her passport, which he had seized. The execution is scheduled to take place within a month.