- By Nidhi Giri
- Tue, 07 Jan 2025 12:55 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Nimisha Priya Case: The death sentence imposed on Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya by a court in Yemen has been controlled by the Iran-Backed Houthis and has not been ratified by president Rashad al-Alimi, the Yemen Embassy in New Delhi said Monday.
The Yemen Embassy issued a statement clarifying that the case did not have the approval of Rashad al-Alimi, the chairman of the presidential leadership council, and had been entirely handled by the Iran-backed Houthis.
Nimisha Priya, 37, is currently in jail in Yemen's capital city Sana'a, which is under Houthi control. She is from Kollengode in the Palakkad district in Kerala and was found guilty of murdering a Yemeni citizen in July 2017 by a trial court in 2020. Yemen's supreme judicial council upheld the court's decision and sentenced her to death in 2024.
Nimisha Priya Case: Progress Till Now
Earlier, Ministry of external affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the government is extending “all possible” help and is closely following developments in the case.
Asenior Iranian official also offered to help in whichever way possible to aid Priya, reported PTI.
Earlier, efforts were made by Priya's mother Prema Kumari and others to raise funds to pay “blood money” and secure the nurse's release. Under the blood money system, the victim's family can forgive the perpetrator for an amount and the decision will override the death sentence given by the court.
However, unable to pay the money required, Priya's mother, in a video message, urged the Indian government to help her daughter.
"This is my final plea. She has only a few days left. Every member of the action council has worked tirelessly to raise funds. I beg the Centre and the council to do everything possible to save her life," she said.