Daijiworld Media Network - Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 12: Congress MP and AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging immediate diplomatic intervention to save Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya, who is scheduled to be executed in Yemen on July 16. Venugopal stressed the urgency of the matter, requesting the use of all possible diplomatic channels to halt the death sentence.
In his letter, Venugopal noted that efforts by Nimisha’s family and the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council to negotiate a blood money settlement with the victim’s family have faced major hurdles due to Yemen’s ongoing civil war and instability. He emphasised that the life of an Indian citizen hangs in the balance, and time is running out.
Lawmakers from across political lines in Kerala have joined in calling for action, appealing to both the Union government and the President of India to intervene swiftly. The case is also set to come up before the Supreme Court on Monday, where a petition seeking directions to the Centre for urgent diplomatic measures will be heard.
Priya’s husband, Tomy Thomas, and their daughter have been campaigning tirelessly for her release. Tomy, who recently met with Kerala Governor Rajendra V. Arlekar, continues to maintain communication with Priya through WhatsApp, assuring her that efforts to save her are ongoing.
Nimisha Priya moved to Yemen in 2008 to support her family back home and worked as a nurse before establishing her own clinic. In 2017, a dispute with her Yemeni business partner Mehdi escalated, and according to her family, she administered sedatives to him in an attempt to retrieve her confiscated passport. The dosage proved fatal. She was arrested while trying to flee the country and was convicted of murder in 2018. A death sentence was handed down in 2020, and in November 2023, Yemen’s Supreme Judicial Council upheld the sentence but allowed for a potential clemency deal through blood money.
The case has sparked national and international concern, highlighting the precarious situations faced by Indian workers in conflict zones. Priya’s mother, Prema Kumari, has taken a central role in the campaign to save her daughter’s life, even travelling to Sanaa in an effort to directly negotiate with the victim’s family. She is supported by a wide network of NRI social workers and activists, united under the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council.
As the execution date approaches, the call for urgent intervention continues to grow louder, with many hoping that decisive diplomatic efforts can secure a last-minute reprieve.