Supreme Court Seeks Centre’s Response on Kerala Woman Facing Death Sentence in Yemen

By A Staff Reporter

New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday issued a notice to the Attorney General of India (AGI), seeking the Union Government’s response on a plea filed on behalf of Nimisha Priya, a 37-year-old Indian nurse from Kerala who faces the death penalty in Yemen for a murder conviction. Her execution is scheduled for July 16, 2025.

The plea was urgently mentioned before a vacation bench of the apex court, where Priya’s legal counsel sought an immediate hearing citing the urgency and humanitarian grounds of the case. The petitioner urged the Indian government to intervene diplomatically and initiate efforts that could help commute her death sentence.

The counsel submitted that, under Sharia law applicable in Yemen, there exists a provision for ‘blood money’ (Diya)—a compensation that can be negotiated with the victim’s family, potentially averting capital punishment. The plea emphasized that the Indian government must facilitate such negotiations through its diplomatic channels.

Taking note of the submissions, the bench issued a notice to the AGI and listed the matter for further hearing on Monday. The court's intervention is being viewed as a critical opportunity to explore diplomatic and legal options to save the life of an Indian citizen abroad.

Nimisha Priya was convicted in Yemen in 2017 for the murder of a Yemeni national, reportedly under complex personal circumstances. Her family and supporters have long maintained that she deserves clemency and that her case requires humanitarian consideration.