Kerala nurse on Yemen death row: Delhi High Court permits mother to negotiate 'blood money'

A Kerala nurse, Nimisha Priya, currently on death row in Yemen for murder, is now set to be represented by her mother in an attempt to secure her release through a "blood money" negotiation, in accordance with Yemen's Shariah law.

The Delhi High Court ruled on Tuesday, granting permission to Nimisha's mother, Prema Kumari, to travel to Yemen and undertake negotiations for her daughter's release through the "blood money" compensation. This compensation, decided by the victim's family, is a customary process in Yemeni law to secure freedom for the accused.

However, complications arose due to a travel ban imposed by the Indian government in 2017, preventing Indian citizens from visiting Yemen without governmental consent. In response to the court's intervention, the Delhi High Court directed the Centre to ease its restrictions, allowing Nimisha's mother to proceed with her mission to Yemen.

The court considered India's lack of diplomatic ties and the closure of its embassy in Yemen, emphasising the absence of any applicable international treaties in the country's current context. Despite these challenges, the court instructed Nimisha's mother to submit an affidavit assuming personal responsibility and absolving the Indian government of any liabilities for her travel to Yemen.

Nimisha Priya was convicted in 2018 for the murder of a Yemeni national, Talal Abdo Mahdi. Her imprisonment stems from an incident where she administered sedatives to Talal in an attempt to retrieve her passport from his possession.

Her initial sentencing to death by a Yemeni trial court in 2018 prompted her family's relentless pursuit for her release. Despite an unsuccessful appeal to the Yemeni Supreme Court, the family's remaining hope now lies in reaching a "blood money" agreement with the victim's family.