The Indian government said today it is extending all help in the matter of Nimisha Priya, an Indian nurse who has been sentenced to death in Yemen for murder.
The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement:
“We are aware of the sentencing of Ms. Nimisha Priya in Yemen. We understand that the family of Ms. Priya is exploring relevant options.
“The government is extending all possible help in the matter.”
The statement comes following reports that Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi on Monday approved the death sentence for Nimisha Priya, a nurse from Kerala, who was convicted of murder in Yemen.
The execution of the sentence will take place in a month’s time.
Nimisha Priya is on death row in Yemen after being convicted of murdering a Yemeni man, Talal Abdo Mehdi, in 2017.
According to reports, Nimisha overdosed Mahdi with sedatives in order to obtain her passport from his possession. She was convicted in 2018.
Nimisha Priya’s release depended on securing forgiveness from the family of the victim, Talal Abdo Mehdi, and their tribal leaders. Her mother, Prema Kumari, has been living in Sana’a, Yemen’s capital, working to secure a waiver of the death penalty and negotiate the blood money with the victim’s family.
Efforts to release Nimisha by providing blood money failed to yield any results.
