Indian Nurse Faces Execution Yemen Amid Diplomatic Efforts

Nimisha Priya, an Indian nurse sentenced to death for the murder of her Yemeni business partner, faces execution in Yemen on July 16, prompting urgent diplomatic and religious efforts to delay or commute her sentence. The case is complicated by the fact that Yemen's Houthi-controlled capital, Sanaa, where she was tried, is not diplomatically recognized by India, limiting official intervention. India's Attorney General R Venkataramani told the Supreme Court that the government has done its utmost through informal channels, including contacting local sheikhs and the Yemeni public prosecutor, but has reached the limits of its influence due to Yemen's complex political situation. Sufi religious leaders, led by Indian Grand Mufti Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar, are actively negotiating with the victim’s family to accept blood money (diyah) and pardon Priya, which under Yemen’s Islamic law could halt the execution. Human rights groups like Amnesty International have urged the Houthis to establish a moratorium on executions and commute Priya’s sentence, highlighting concerns about fairness and due process, including the lack of a translator during her trial. The case has drawn significant media attention in India, with continued hope that diplomatic and religious interventions will succeed in preventing the execution.