49 Indians on death row abroad; Nimisha Priya’s execution temporarily halted in Yemen

Indian nurse Nimisha Priya, sentenced to death in Yemen for the 2017 murder of a Yemeni national, has received a temporary reprieve from execution. Scheduled to be executed on Wednesday, her hanging has been halted following prolonged negotiations involving religious leaders, officials, and community representatives.

Priya, who moved to Yemen in 2008, initially worked as a nurse before opening a clinic with Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mehdi. In 2017, after a dispute, she allegedly administered sedatives to Mehdi in an attempt to retrieve her confiscated passport. The sedatives proved fatal, leading to her arrest as she tried to flee the country. Convicted in 2018, Priya was sentenced to death in 2020, a decision upheld by Yemen’s Supreme Judicial Council in November 2023.

Legal experts say her only chance at escaping execution now lies in a ‘blood money’ settlement — a provision under Sharia law that allows the victim’s family to pardon the convict in exchange for financial compensation. However, differing views within Mehdi’s family have complicated the process. Negotiations are now focused on resolving these internal disagreements and finalizing the amount for the compensation.

Meanwhile, Nimisha Priya’s case brings attention to the broader issue of Indians facing capital punishment abroad. According to available data, 49 Indians are currently on death row in eight countries. The highest number — 25 — are in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), followed by 11 in Saudi Arabia. Other countries include Malaysia (6), Kuwait (3), and one each in Indonesia, Qatar, the United States, and Yemen.

With diplomatic efforts ongoing, Priya’s fate now hinges on whether a settlement can be reached with the deceased’s family. Until then, her execution remains on hold. — With Agencies Inputs