Indian Nurse Nimisha Priya Faces Imminent Execution in Yemen; Family Makes Desperate Appeals

The fate of Nimisha Priya, an Indian nurse from Kerala imprisoned in Yemen, hangs precariously as her execution date for murder has reportedly been set for July 16. Nimisha, currently held in Sana'a, the capital city largely under Houthi rebel control, conveyed the grim news to her husband, Tommy Thomas, via WhatsApp messages and voice notes, stating that the jail chairman personally informed her of the impending execution.

The announcement has sent shockwaves through Nimisha's family, who are making last-ditch efforts to save her life. The Supreme Court of India is scheduled to hear her case on July 14, just two days before the proposed execution.

Family's Relentless Efforts and Diplomatic Hurdles

Nimisha's husband, Tommy Thomas, and her mother, Prema Kumari, have been in Delhi for days, desperately seeking intervention from high-level leaders and legal experts. They recently met with Himachal Pradesh Governor Rajendra Arlekar, who assured them of all possible help. The family's primary goal is to secure intervention from the Indian government, particularly the Ministry of External Affairs or the Prime Minister's Office, to negotiate with the Yemeni government or Houthi officials and halt the execution.

A major challenge in this diplomatic push is the absence of a functional Indian Embassy in Yemen due to the ongoing civil war. With Sana'a under Houthi control, direct and official diplomatic engagement becomes exceptionally difficult. While the family has received the execution date from prison authorities, there has been no official confirmation from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs or the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia, which handles some consular services for Yemen.

Political Appeals and the "Blood Money" Option

Recognizing the urgency, Congress leader K.C. Venugopal has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging immediate diplomatic intervention. In his letter, Venugopal stressed that executing Nimisha Priya would be "the height of injustice," arguing that she was a victim of "inhuman torture and domestic violence" that led to her desperate act. He asserted that she deserves "justice, not death."

Nimisha Priya was convicted in 2020 for the 2017 murder of Yemeni citizen Talal Abdo Mehdi. She claims she acted in self-defense after suffering physical and mental torture from him. In 2023, Yemen's Supreme Judicial Council upheld her death sentence but left open the possibility of a pardon if the victim's family accepted 'blood money' (diyah) under Islamic Sharia law.

Reports indicate that Nimisha Priya's family has offered $1 million (approximately ₹8.6 crore) as blood money to the victim's family in a desperate attempt to secure their forgiveness. This remains a crucial avenue for clemency, as Yemeni law allows for a pardon in exchange for such compensation, even up to the moments before an execution.

The family now faces a race against time, with hopes pinned on either a last-minute legal reprieve from the Supreme Court of India or a successful negotiation for blood money and a pardon from the Yemeni family, a process complicated by the volatile political landscape in Yemen.