Iran pledges support for Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya facing death row in Yemen
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Iran has expressed its willingness to assist in the case of Nimisha Priya, an Indian nurse from Kerala who is on death row in Yemen.
A senior Iranian official, speaking in Delhi on Thursday, stated that the country would intervene on humanitarian grounds to support Priya, who has been convicted of murdering a Yemeni citizen.
Priya, a 37-year-old nurse from Kollengode in Kerala's Palakkad district, was found guilty of killing Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mahdi in July 2017. The incident reportedly occurred when Priya allegedly administered an overdose of sedatives to Mahdi in an attempt to retrieve her passport from him.
Priya was sentenced to death by a Yemeni trial court in 2020, a decision upheld by Yemen's Supreme Judicial Council in November 2023. Most recently, Yemen’s President Rashad al-Alimi approved her death penalty.
The case has drawn significant attention in India, with the External Affairs Ministry working on potential interventions. Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal assured on Tuesday that the Indian government is providing all possible support while Priya’s family explores legal and diplomatic options.
"We are aware of Nimisha Priya’s sentencing in Yemen and are extending all possible assistance," Jaiswal stated.
Priya’s mother, Prema Kumari, currently in Sana’a, the Yemeni capital controlled by Iran-backed Houthis, has made a desperate appeal to Indian authorities. In a heartfelt video message, she urged the government and support groups to act swiftly to save her daughter’s life.
“This is my final plea. She has only a few days left. The action council and others have worked tirelessly to gather resources. I beg the Centre to do everything possible to save her life,” Kumari said.
The Iranian official indicated that Priya’s case appeared to involve manslaughter, suggesting that there may be room for legal reconsideration. "We will take up the issue and do whatever we can on humanitarian grounds," the official said, signaling a willingness to mediate in the matter.
The case has mobilised an action council in India that has been raising funds and advocating for Priya’s release. With time running out, calls for urgent intervention have intensified.