Indian nurse on death row in Yemen: India in touch with some ‘friendly countries’, says MEA

India is in touch with some friendly countries and also closely following the case of Indian nurse Nimisha Priya who is on death row in Yemen after being convicted for the murder of a Yemeni national. Her execution, earlier scheduled for July 16, has been postponed and efforts are on to save her.

"This is a sensitive matter and the Government of India has been offering all possible assistance in the case. We have provided legal assistance and appointed a lawyer to the family. We have also arranged regular consular visits and been in constant touch with the local authorities and the family members to resolve the issue," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters during a weekly briefing.

Without revealing the name of the countries, Jaiswal added, "This included concerted efforts in recent days to seek more time for her family to reach a mutually agreeable solution with the other party. The local authorities in Yemen have postponed her sentence. We continue to closely follow the matter and render all possible assistance. We are also in touch with some friendly governments," he added.

Hailing from Kollengode town in Kerala’s Palakkad, Priya’s death sentence was approved by Yemen’s President on December 30 last year.