The Supreme Court of India has intervened in the case of Nimisha Priya, a Kerala-born nurse facing imminent execution in Yemen. Her execution, scheduled for July 16, 2025, follows her conviction in the 2017 murder of her Yemeni business partner, Talal Abdo Mahdi. As tensions mount, India’s top court has agreed to hear a plea demanding the central government take immediate diplomatic action to prevent the hanging.
The petition was filed by the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, which argued that the Indian government must act decisively to protect one of its citizens from capital punishment in a foreign land. The Supreme Court heard the matter on July 14 and posted it for further hearing on July 18. The urgency of the matter stems from the limited time left before the execution date and the diplomatic complications involved due to Yemen’s ongoing civil unrest.
Attorney General R Venkataramani, appearing on behalf of the Indian government, informed the court that India has exhausted almost all available diplomatic channels, both formal and informal, to secure a reprieve. He acknowledged that India lacks official diplomatic relations with Yemen due to the internal conflict and that the Indian embassy has operated from Djibouti since the crisis intensified.
According to court submissions, efforts were made through private intermediaries, including outreach via a Yemeni sheikh, and repeated attempts were undertaken to negotiate with the victim’s family. However, these talks failed, as the family has refused to accept blood money, known as 'diya' under Sharia law, which could have legally led to a pardon. Despite arrangements being made for the financial compensation by supporters of Priya, the victim’s family rejected the offer citing honour-based reasons.
Nimisha Priya's mother, Prema Kumari, has remained in Yemen for over a year, making direct appeals to the victim’s relatives and seeking support from the local legal system. However, the lack of diplomatic channels has rendered these efforts largely ineffective.
The case has drawn attention from across the political spectrum in India. Congress leader K C Venugopal appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene urgently, stating the matter requires top-priority diplomatic attention. CPI(M) MP K. Radhakrishnan and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti have also urged the government to act and mobilize support. Mufti called upon Indian women to come together to raise blood money and push for a humanitarian resolution.
With just hours remaining before the scheduled execution, the Supreme Court’s next hearing on July 18 is seen as a critical moment. However, with Yemen's legal and political system heavily influenced by tribal and honour-based customs, a legal breakthrough will likely depend on whether the victim’s family can be persuaded to accept a settlement.
The Indian government, meanwhile, remains cautious but continues to monitor the situation. The fate of Nimisha Priya now hangs in the balance, awaiting a last-minute intervention or a shift in the stance of the victim's family.