The Supreme Court on Monday heard a plea seeking urgent diplomatic intervention to save Nimisha Priya, a Kerala nurse sentenced to death in Yemen for the alleged murder of a Yemeni national in 2017.
Appearing for the Centre, Attorney General R Venkataramani informed the bench that India has exhausted all diplomatic avenues, including reaching out to the Yemeni public prosecutor and engaging an influential Sheikh.
However, the efforts have not yielded results. The AG added that the Yemeni government has refused to suspend the execution.
The petitioner told the court that blood money had been arranged, and they were willing to pay more, but negotiations have not yielded.
The bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta noted the seriousness of the situation and observed that the circumstances behind the incident were complex.
The bench remarked that there must be at least some level of informal communication regarding the matter.
However, the AG expressed doubt that it would change the Yemeni government’s stance. He added that India lacks formal diplomatic relations with Yemen, which severely limits its influence.
The court has listed the matter for further hearing on July 18 and asked all parties to update it with any developments.
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