Yemeni's embassy on Monday said the capital punishment handed to Indian nurse Nimisha Priya by a Yemeni court has not been ratified by President Rashad al-Alimi. The clarification by the embassy comes amid reports that Yeman President Rashad al-Alimi ratified her death sentence.
Nimisha Priya case has been handled by the Houthi militias
The mission said the Yemeni government emphasises that the entire case has been handled by the Houthi militias, and therefore, Rashad Al-Alimi, Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, Yemen has not ratified this judgment.
Who is Nimisha Priya?
Priya, hailing from Kollengode in Palakkad district, Kerala has been found guilty of murdering a Yemeni citizen in July, 2017. The 37-year-old nurse is presently lodged in a jail in Sana'a. The Yemeni capital city that is under the control of Iran-backed Houthis.
According to reports, Priya was handed capital punishment by a trial court in 2020 while Yemen's Supreme Judicial Council upheld the verdict in November 2023.
Closely following developments: MEA
Meanwhile, India on Friday said it is closely following the developments in the case of Indian nurse. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We are closely following the developments around the sentencing of Nimisha Priya. The government is extending all possible help in the matter."
Iran extends support
On Thursday, an Iranian official said Iran will do whatever it can in the case. The Yemeni national, Talal Abdo Mahdi, reportedly died from an overdose of sedatives allegedly injected by Priya to retrieve her passport from him.
Priya's mother, Prema Kumari, currently in Sana'a, has made an emotional appeal to the Indian government to save her daughter's life.
In a video message from Yemen, Prema Kumari urged the Centre and other authorities to intervene urgently.
"This is my final plea. She has only a few days left. Every member of the action council has worked tirelessly to raise funds. Last week," she added.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the government is extending "all possible" help in the matter. "We are closely following the developments around the sentencing of Nimisha Priya. The government is extending all possible help in the matter," he said.
(With PTI inputs)
