Nimisha Priya, an Indian nurse on death row in Yemen, faces execution on July 16 for the alleged 2018 murder of her Yemeni business partner, Talal Abdo Mahdi. Yemen’s President Rashad al-Alimi approved her execution earlier this year.
In a final effort to save her, Nimisha Priya's family has offered $1 million ( ₹8.6 crore) as 'blood money' to the victim's family under Yemen’s Sharia law, which allows for the possibility of pardon in such cases.
Speaking to NDTV on Friday, Babu John, an activist with the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, said, “The status is that the power of attorney holder for Nimisha's family, Samuel Jerome, who is already in Yemen's Sana'a, is leading the negotiation from our side. It took many months to negotiate, and we have proposed $1 million to save Nimisha Priya. The Yemeni man's family has not said yes or no. Once the family says yes, we will mobilise the funds and give them to the family if they are ready to pardon Nimisha.”
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He further explained, "That is the important thing. Apart from the money, within the Sharia law, which is prevailing in Yemen, we are requesting the family to pardon Nimisha for whatever she did or whatever she is accused of. If the family is ready to pardon with or without money... anyway we are ready to pay $1 million. That is the offer.”
{{/usCountry}}He further explained, "That is the important thing. Apart from the money, within the Sharia law, which is prevailing in Yemen, we are requesting the family to pardon Nimisha for whatever she did or whatever she is accused of. If the family is ready to pardon with or without money... anyway we are ready to pay $1 million. That is the offer.”
{{/usCountry}}As her family and the Indian government continue negotiations, the ‘blood money’ or ‘diya’ remains the only realistic legal route for securing a pardon and halting her execution.
What is ‘bloody money’?
Under Islamic Sharia law, 'blood money' or diya refers to financial compensation offered by an accused individual to the victim's family in cases of serious crimes, such as murder. The law categorises murder into two types: intentional and accidental.
In cases of intentional killing, Sharia law prescribes the death penalty or a punishment that matches the gravity of the crime. As stated in the text, "But if it is not a willful murder but a murder by mistake, the punishment according to verse (4:92) is ransom money (blood money). But if a remission is made by the heirs of the slain out of their own goodwill, they are allowed to do so. In such a case, it is incumbent on the murderer to abide by what has been settled and pay it in a commendable manner."
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This provision is particularly relevant in Yemen, a country that adheres strictly to Islamic Sharia law, making the option of diya significant in cases like Nimisha Priya’s.
Under this system, the decision regarding the offender’s fate rests entirely with the victim’s family. While Sharia law does not set a specific amount for diya, it allows for negotiations between the two parties to determine the compensation.