Kerala cleric’s claims on Nimisha Priya’s death row case inaccurate

Nimisha Priya’s execution was put off following intervention of Indian officials, non-resident Indians seeking a reprieve for the Indian nurse

Claims being made by a Kerala-based cleric about the case of Nimisha Priya, an Indian on death row in Yemen, are incorrect and any speculation on this sensitive matter should be avoided, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

The office of the Grand Mufti of India, Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musaliyar, has claimed that Priya’s death sentence had been overturned

The office of the Grand Mufti of India, Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musaliyar, has claimed that Priya’s death sentence had been overturned. “We have seen reports making claims regarding the case of Nimisha Priya. These are incorrect,” one of the people cited above said on condition of anonymity.

“We would urge all to avoid misinformation and speculation on this sensitive matter,” the person said.

Priya’s execution was scheduled for July 16 but was put off following the intervention of Indian officials and non-resident Indians who have been seeking a reprieve for the Indian nurse. The 38-year-old woman is in a prison in Sanaa, the Yemeni capital city that is controlled by Houthi rebels.

The people said there has been no substantive development in Priya’s case since her execution was put off.

Priya, who hails from Kollengode in Palakkad district of Kerala, was convicted of murdering her Yemeni business partner by a Yemeni court and given the death sentence in 2020. Yemen’s Supreme Judicial Council dismissed her appeal in November 2023.

The external affairs ministry said on July 17 that it is in touch with Yemeni authorities and some friendly nations to reach a “mutually agreeable solution” in Priya’s case. The matter has been complicated as India doesn’t have a diplomatic presence in Yemen and diplomats in the Indian mission in Saudi Arabia are handling the issue.

The ministry’s spokesperson has declined to comment on the reported role played by Musaliyar in the postponement of Priya’s execution.

Indian officials have focused on efforts to prevent the execution through the Islamic tradition of “diyat”, or paying “blood money” to the victim’s family. However, the family of Talal Abdo Mahdi, the Yemeni man killed by Priya, has said it will not agree on a settlement.

Priya injected Mahdi with sedatives in an attempt to retrieve her passport, which he had withheld amid escalating personal and financial disputes. An overdose reportedly led to his death.