New Delhi: The execution of Indian nurse Nimisha Priya from Kerala, who is facing the death penalty in Yemen, has been postponed by Yemeni authorities, government sources said on Tuesday. Her execution was scheduled for Wednesday.
Priya, a resident of Kolengode in Kerala's Palakkad district, has been found guilty of killing a Yemeni national in July 2017.
The sources said it has been learnt that local authorities in Yemen have postponed the execution scheduled for July 16. They said the Indian government has made concerted efforts in recent days to get Priya's family to seek more time to reach a "mutually agreed" solution with the other party.
In 2020, a Yemeni court sentenced her to death and the country's Supreme Judicial Council dismissed her appeal against the sentence in November 2023. The 38-year-old nurse is currently lodged in a prison in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, which is under the control of the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
The sources said the Indian government has been providing all possible assistance in the case since the beginning. They said that despite the sensitivities surrounding the case, Indian officials have been in regular contact with local prison authorities and the public prosecutor's office, which led to the postponement of the hearing.
Priya's mother Premakumari had travelled to Yemen last year as part of efforts to secure her release. The Indian side had also explored the option of securing Priya's release by paying "diat" or "blood money". But it is learnt that this too has faced some problems.
The government on Monday informed the Supreme Court that it is making "every possible effort" to save the Indian nurse from execution, but there is little it can do in this regard.