Tue Dec 31 08:46:54 UTC 2024: ## Kerala Nurse Faces Death Penalty in Yemen; India Offers Support
**Sana’a, Yemen/New Delhi, India** – Nimisha Priya, a 36-year-old nurse from Kerala, India, has been sentenced to death in Yemen after being convicted of murder. The Yemeni Supreme Judicial Council upheld the 2020 death sentence, rejecting a subsequent appeal. While the possibility of “blood money” – compensation paid to the victim’s family – remains, negotiations have been hampered by disputes over legal fees.
Priya, who moved to Yemen in 2008, opened a clinic and partnered with Talal Abdo Mahdi. A dispute arose in 2017, culminating in Mahdi’s death. Priya’s family claims she administered sedatives to retrieve her passport, resulting in an accidental overdose. However, she was convicted of murder and subsequently sentenced to death. Yemeni law mandates the death penalty for various crimes, including murder.
Priya’s mother has undertaken significant efforts, including selling her property, to secure her daughter’s release. She traveled to Sana’a earlier this year to negotiate blood money with the victim’s family, aided by the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council. However, complications arose when the Indian Embassy-appointed lawyer requested a substantial pre-negotiation fee, delaying the process. While the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has provided some funds, further hurdles remain.
The MEA has stated that it is providing all possible assistance to Priya. The case highlights the challenges faced by Indian citizens abroad embroiled in legal battles in foreign jurisdictions with differing legal systems. The situation remains critical, with Priya’s fate hanging in the balance pending the resolution of the blood money negotiations and further legal appeals.
First Piper 