Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Aug 1: India on Friday reaffirmed its commitment to extend all possible assistance in the case of Nimisha Priya, a Kerala-born nurse facing the death penalty in Yemen for the alleged murder of a Yemeni national in 2017.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said efforts are underway through diplomatic channels and with the help of friendly governments to seek a solution.

Priya, a 38-year-old native of Kollengode in Palakkad district, is currently imprisoned in Sana'a, the capital of Yemen controlled by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Her execution, originally scheduled for July 16, was postponed following intervention by Indian officials.

“We continue to closely follow the matter and render all possible assistance. We are also in touch with some friendly governments on the issue,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated during a media briefing.

He urged the public and media to avoid speculation, clarifying that recent reports suggesting a revocation of her sentence or a release agreement were inaccurate. “Such reports are incorrect… This is a sensitive and complex case,” Jaiswal said.

India has no official diplomatic mission in Yemen, and its diplomatic team in Saudi Arabia is actively handling the case.

Nimisha Priya was sentenced to death by a Yemeni court in 2020, and her appeal was dismissed by the country’s Supreme Judicial Council in November 2023.