Nimisha Priya, Indian nurse on death row to be executed on July 16 in Yemen
Indian nurse convicted of Yemeni citizen's murder faces execution, as negotiator confirms date, saying that the Indian government can still intervene
Nimisha Priya, an Indian nurse from Kerala, convicted of the murder of a Yemeni citizen Talal Abdo Mehdi, will be executed on July 16, media reports quoting a negotiator said on Tuesday (July 8).
India can still intervene
They further stated that a social worker Samuel Jerome Baskaran, involved in the negotiations with Yemeni government officials and Talal’s family confirmed the development. He said that the public prosecutor had sent a letter of prosecution to the jail authorities adding that the Indian government can still intervene to save her life.
“The public prosecutor had issued the letter of prosecution to the jail authorities. The execution is scheduled for July 16. Options are still open. The Government of India can intervene in the matter to save her life,” Baskaran was quoted by the Indian Express as saying.
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Offer made to Talal’s family
He also said that an offer had been made to Tala’s family during the last meeting, but they are yet to respond. He said that he was heading to Yemen to restart the negotiations.
Nimisha’s mother, Prema Kumari, has been in Yemen for the last year. Hailing from Kerala, Nimisha used to work as a nurse in Yemen for several years before she was arrested for Talal’s murder in 2017.
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Yemen President upheld order
A trial court in Yemen awarded her death sentence which was upheld by the Supreme Court last year. Later, the death sentence was approved by the President of Yemem Rashad al-Alimi. Since then her fate has been depending on whether she would receive a pardon from Talal’s family.
According to media reports, the Ministry of External Affairs had said that it would extend all possible support to Nimisha and her family.
The backdrop
Earlier, the Centre had said that it was closely following the developments in the case of Priya, who hails from Kollengode in Kerala's Palakkad district and was convicted in the murder case in July 2017, reported PTI.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said, "We are closely following the developments around the sentencing of Nimisha Priya. The government is extending all possible help in the matter."
(With agency inputs)