'Friendly Nations Interceding For Nimisha Priya’s Release As Execution Is Postponed,' Says MEA

New Delhi: MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that “friendly countries” are interceding on India’s behalf to ensure Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya can be released. Priya who has been accused of killing Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mehdi in 2017 was arrested in 2020 and sentenced in 2023. Her death sentence which was set for July 16 has now been postponed.

Stating that the government of India had been offering all possible assistance in the case Jaiswal said: “We have provided legal assistance and also appointed a lawyer to assist the family. We have also arranged for regular consular visits by her family and we are in touch with local authorities, as well as her family members, to resolve this issue. This includes concerted efforts in the recent few days to seek time for the family of Miss Nimisha Priya to reach a mutually agreeable solution with the other party.”

Mehdi’s family have reportedly asked for blood money for US $1 million (₹8.6 crore) in lieu of execution. However, matters have become more complicated with recent reports stating NIMISHA PRIYA CASE that Mehdi ’ s brother was refusing the blood money and was demanding Nimisha’s execution.

Jaiswal did not confirm or deny these reports but stated that the government was continuing to monitor the situation. “We continue to closely follow the matter and render all possible assistance in the case. We are also in touch with some friendly governments in this regard.”

While the MEA spokesperson did not elaborate, government sources revealed that Iran was closely interceding with the Yemeni authorities on India’s behalf. Given that Nimisha is lodged in a prison in Sanaa which is now under the control of the rebel Houthis it is natural that New Delhi would call upon Tehran.

And reports indicate that Tehran has been working on India’s behalf since the beginning of this year.

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed India’s involvement in an interview to a leading Indian national daily in February this year. “We are hopeful. I just spoke to Mr. Abdul Salam, the Ansar Allah envoy who is here in Muscat. I told him about this case, and he assured me that he will try to find a way forward,” the Iranian minister said in the interview. Iran’s role is crucial in the Nimisha case as India has few options in Yemen. Due to the ongoing civil war in the country New Delhi does not have an embassy there and matters regarding the country are being handled from the Indian mission in Riyadh.

The other problem is that Yemen today is split into three parts with the Houthis controlling Sanaa which is the administrative capital while the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and the UAEbacked Southern Transitional Council (STC) control the rest of the country. This instability has further complicated legal and administrative matters in the war-torn country. While the Iranian assistance is welcome West Asia watchers in India say there are no guarantees that the Houthis will listen.

Ambassador Talmiz Ahmad states that there are significant differences between Iran and the rebel group. “The Houthis are Zaidis which means they do not follow the “Twelver” Shiism practiced in Iran. Also, unlike other Iranian proxy groups such as Hezbollah, the Houthis were not founded by Tehran. These differences ensure that while Iran funds the Houthis it has little control over their actions.”