Iran says it will take up issue of death penalty to Kerala nurse in Yemen: Sources

Iran has said it will take up the issue of Indian national Nimisha Priya, who is on death row in Yemen, and said it would do whatever is possible in the matter, Iranian government sources told India Today TV.

Nimisha Priya, a nurse from Kerala, has been sentenced to death in Yemen for the murder of a Yemeni national. On December 30 last year, Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi approved the death sentence for Nimisha Priya, who has been in prison since 2017.

A native of Kerala's Palakkad district, Nimisha Priya was arrested for the alleged murder of Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mehdi in July 2017. A trial court in Sanaa sentenced her to death in 2020 and her appeal was dismissed by Yemen's Supreme Judicial Council in November 2023.

However, the option of paying blood money was kept open. Her release depended on getting the family of the victim, Talal Abdo Mehdi, and their tribal leader to forgive her. Her death sentence could have been set aside if the victim's family pardoned her and accepted blood money.

The negotiations for the same were underway. However, they were stalled after the payment to the lawyer appointed on behalf of Priya got delayed. The lawyer had demanded USD 40,000 in two instalments as pre-negotiation fees. He refused to proceed further unless the entire amount was given to him.

India said it was "extending all possible help" to the family of Nimisha Priya. Her execution will occur within a month, unless a pardon is obtained by the family.

"We are aware of the sentencing of Nimisha Priya in Yemen. We understand that the family of Nimisha Priya is exploring relevant options. The government is extending all possible help in the matter," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

Nimisha Priya's mother Prema Kumari went to Yemen in April 2024 and met her daughter at the prison for the first time in 11 years. Since then, her mother has been in the Gulf nation trying to secure her daughter's release.