New Delhi: The Supreme Court was informed on Thursday that there is “no immediate threat” to Indian nurse Nimisha Priya, who is on death row in Yemen for murder. The court has listed the matter for hearing after eight weeks.
The petitioner organisation, Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, which is providing her legal support, sought an adjournment before a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, citing ongoing negotiations.
Priya, a 38-year-old from Palakkad, Kerala, was convicted in 2017 of murdering her Yemeni business partner, Talal Abdo Mahdi. She was sentenced to death in 2020, and her final appeal was rejected in 2023. She is currently lodged in a prison in Sana’a, the Yemeni capital.
Last month, the court was informed that her scheduled execution on July 16 had been stayed. On July 18, the Centre told the court it was making all possible diplomatic efforts to secure her release. The petitioner has urged the government to send a delegation to Yemen to negotiate with the victim’s family.
Priya’s mother is already in Yemen for talks, having received special travel permission from the Delhi High Court. Under Sharia law, the victim’s family could pardon Priya if “blood money” is paid, a possibility the petitioner’s counsel has raised.
India has said it is in contact with Yemeni authorities and “friendly nations” to reach a mutually acceptable resolution.
