CPI MP And Mehbooba Seek EAM's Intervention To Save Indian Nurse On Death Row In Yemen
Priya, hailing from Kollengode in Kerala's Palakkad district, was found guilty of murdering a Yemeni man, her business partner, in July 2017.
Published : July 10, 2025 at 4:40 PM IST
|Updated : July 10, 2025 at 4:47 PM IST
New Delhi: Communist Party of India Rajya Sabha MP P Sandosh Kumar on Thursday wrote to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and urged him to use "every possible diplomatic and humanitarian channel" to secure a stay on the execution of Indian nurse Nimisha Priya in Yemen.
In a letter to Jaishankar, Kumar said reports indicate that the execution may be carried out within days. "Nimisha's case has not only shaken the conscience of the public but also raised serious concerns about the lack of legal safeguards and the humanitarian dimensions of her ordeal," Kumar said. He said Priya travelled to Yemen to work as a nurse, like many others who leave their homeland in search of a livelihood.
"Her years there were marked by grave suffering, accounts suggest she endured repeated abuse and coercion at the hands of her business partner. Denied her passport and subjected to constant fear and exploitation, she found herself in a desperate situation," he said.
Kumar said what followed was a tragic turn of events that has now placed her on death row. "In such circumstances, the role of the Government of India, particularly the Ministry of External Affairs, becomes critical and urgent. The Communist Party of India has consistently stood by Nimisha Priya's family in their appeal for justice and compassion," he said.
The Left leader said the Yemeni legal system allows for a resolution through the provision of diyat (blood money), "which opens a window for negotiation, provided the Indian government steps in to facilitate it."
He said, "In this context, I strongly urge you to use every possible diplomatic and humanitarian channel to secure a stay on the execution and pursue all available means to prevent this irreversible punishment.
Nimisha Priya an Indian nurse is facing execution in Yemen on 16th July. She was allegedly subjected to severe abuse and in an attempt to defend her herself a man died. Nimisha now faces the death penalty. As per Yemeni law clemency is possible only through blood money. Request… pic.twitter.com/rk1Jpmrkgt
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) July 10, 2025
"It is a question not only of saving a life but of reaffirming the nation's responsibility towards its citizens abroad," he added.
Former Jammu and Kashmie Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti also appealed to people to donate generously for raising blood money needed for getting clemency for Nimisha.
In a post on X, Mehbooba said, "Nimisha Priya an Indian nurse is facing execution in Yemen on 16th July. She was allegedly subjected to severe abuse and in an attempt to defend her herself a man died". She said Priya now faces the death penalty, and as per the Yemeni law, clemency is possible only through blood money.
"Request @DrSJaishankar to intervene immediately. Unfortunately till now the required funds and diplomatic pressure are both inadequate," Mehbooba said. The former chief minister of the erstwhile state of J-K urgently appealed to everyone, especially women, to donate generously so that the family of the nurse can pay it for clemency.
Priya, hailing from Kollengode in Kerala's Palakkad district, was found guilty of murdering a Yemeni man, her business partner, in July 2017. In 2020, a Yemeni court handed her the death sentence, and the country's Supreme Judicial Council dismissed her appeal in November 2023. The 38-year-old nurse is presently lodged in a jail in Sana'a, the Yemeni capital city under the control of the Iran-backed Houthis.
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