Indian nurse on death row in Yemen: SC told negotiations going on, no immediate threat

The Supreme Court was on Thursday informed that there was “no immediate threat” to Indian nurse Nimisha Priya facing the gallows after being convicted of murdering a Yemeni national.

“Negotiations are going on. As of now there is no immediate threat. Kindly adjourn it by four weeks. Hopefully, everything will be over by that time,” the counsel for petitioner ‘Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council’ --which is extending legal support to the beleaguered nurse – told a Bench led by Justice Vikram Nath.

The Bench – which also included Justice Sandeep Mehta — deferred the hearing for eight weeks after the petitioner's counsel said they would mention the matter if there was any urgency.

Currently lodged in a jail in Yemeni capital Sana, the 38-year-old Indian nurse from Palakkad in Kerala was scheduled to be executed on July 16. The trial court convicted her of killing Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mahdi in 2017 by allegedly injecting him with sedatives to get her passport that the deceased had kept in his possession. The decision was upheld by the country's Supreme Judicial Council in November 2023.

On July 18, the Centre had informed the Supreme Court that the execution of Nimisha Priya had been stayed.

Attorney General R Venkataramani had told the Bench that efforts were on to secure her release and safe return to India.

Stating that Priya’s execution has been postponed, senior advocate Regenth Basant -- representing the petitioner -- had explained that they have to first get pardon and then the issue of “blood money” would come. According to Sharia law, a person can be released if the relatives of the victim agree to accept blood money.

The top court had allowed the private organisation making efforts for the release of Priya to approach the Centre for permission to travel to Yemen for negotiations.