Save Kerala nurse from execution, CPM’s Brittas writes to Jaishankar

Days ahead of the scheduled execution of Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya in Yemen, Opposition MP and CPM leader John Brittas on Wednesday urged the Central Government to intensify its efforts to halt the hanging.

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In a letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Brittas, a Rajya Sabha member, underscored the gravity of the situation and called for urgent intervention.

Citing reports that the execution is slated for July 16, Brittas noted the widespread anxiety and anguish among Priya’s family and supporters, who are seeking to save her from the gallows.

Priya, 38, a nurse from Kollengode in Kerala’s Palakkad district, was convicted of murdering her Yemeni business partner in July 2017. A Yemeni court sentenced her to death in 2020.

Brittas urged the Centre to engage at the highest diplomatic levels to stop the execution and explore the possibility of securing a pardon through “diyat” — a provision under Islamic law that allows the victim’s family to accept financial compensation in lieu of execution.

He appealed to the government to facilitate negotiations with the deceased’s family, tribal leaders and other stakeholders through diplomatic channels and trusted interlocutors.

“This distressing news has caused deep anguish among her family and well-wishers,” Brittas wrote, stressing the need for “immediate and decisive” government action.