The Supreme Court of Yemen has rejected an appeal against the death sentence of Nimisha Priya, an Indian nurse from Kerala, imprisoned in the country since 2017 for the murder of a Yemeni national, Talal Abdo Mahdi.
Priya was convicted of killing Mahdi by injecting him with sedatives in an attempt to repossess her passport from his possession.
On Thursday, the Delhi High Court pressed the Centre to decide within a week regarding a plea from Nimisha Priya's mother to travel to Yemen. Earlier this year, Priya's mother sought permission from the court to visit Yemen, despite the travel ban for Indian nationals in effect since 2017 due to the persistent civil war in the Arab nation
Priya's mother wants to spare her daughter from the death penalty, which involves negotiating with the deceased's family through the payment of blood money, a process necessitating her travel to Yemen.
Represented by lawyer Subash Chandaran KR, the petitioner highlighted that direct negotiations with the victim's family, requiring her physical presence in Yemen, are crucial to saving her daughter. However, the existing travel ban for Indian nationals acts as an obstacle.
The Centre's lawyer informed the high court that a recently issued notification may relax the travel ban to Yemen for Indian nationals, allowing visits for specific reasons and limited durations.
Justice Subramonium Prasad ordered the respondent to decide on the representation within one week, treating the present petition as a representation in view of the new developments.
"In view of the representation, let the present petition be treated as a representation. Respondent is directed to decide the representation within one week from today," Justice Subramonium Prasad ordered.