Is fate of Indian nurse Nimisha Priya, on death sentence in Yemen, in the hands of Houthi rebels?

In the latest twist to the gripping case of Nimisha Priya, an Indian nurse on death row in Yemen, details have emerged about the handling of her sentence.

The Yemeni Embassy in India has clarified that the death sentence handed to Priya by a Yemeni court has not been approved by President Rashad al-Alimi. Instead, she remains detained under the Iran-aligned Houthi militia in the capital Sana’a, reports PTI.

This comes in contrast to a statement by a high-level Iranian official who had earlier declared that Tehran would “take up” Priya’s case on “humanitarian” grounds.

Here’s what we know of the unfolding situation.

On Monday, the Yemen Embassy in India in a statement announced that Yemen President Rashad al-Alimi has not “ratified” the
death sentence of Indian nurse Nimisha Priya, instead the “entire case” was controlled by the Houthi militia of the country.

“The Yemeni government emphasizes that the entire case has been handled by the Houthi militias and therefore, His Excellency Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi, Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, Republic of Yemen has not ratified the judgement,” a statement issued by the Embassy of Yemen declared.

The announcement came days after it was widely reported that Yemeni President
Alimi had approved capital punishment for the Indian nurse.

The statement further said that Priya is “currently detained in Sanaa under the authority of the Houthi militia”. Earlier, a media outlet from Kerala suggested that the approval for the death sentence came from Mehdi Al-Mashat, the rebel president and leader of the Houthi Supreme Political Council.

The confusion surrounding Nimisha Priya’s case stems from Yemen’s deeply divided political landscape, where three distinct factions vie for control.

The capital city of Sana’a is under the authority of the Iran-backed Houthi militia, while the internationally recognised, Saudi-backed government controls other parts of the country. Additionally, the UAE-supported Southern Transitional Council (STC) governs certain southern regions.

The Yemeni Embassy in New Delhi represents the Saudi-backed government, as the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels maintain no official diplomatic ties with India.

The Houthi militants, operating under the Ansar Allah group, currently control Sana’a and oversee approximately 50 per cent of Yemen’s population.

According to reports from The Hindu, officials from India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) have indicated that
Iranian intervention in the case could be a decisive factor following which a senior Iranian official reportedly stated that Tehran would “take up” Priya’s case on “humanitarian” grounds and “will do whatever we can.”

Priya, a 37-year-old nurse from Kerala, was sentenced to death in Sana’a for the 2017 murder of her business partner, Talal Abdo Mahdi. Priya claimed that Mahdi had confiscated her passport and subjected her to physical threats, leading her to attempt to sedate him to retrieve her documents, which inadvertently resulted in his death.

The nurse was arrested and imprisoned in the Houthi-controlled capital. She was handed capital punishment by a trial court in 2020 while Yemen’s Supreme Judicial Council upheld the verdict in November 2023.

Last week, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the government is extending “all possible” help and is closely monitoring the situation and remains actively involved.

This follows an appeal by the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, a group of NRI social workers in Yemen, which urged India’s external ministry to intervene immediately and take the lead in securing Priya’s release.

Priya’s mother, Prema Kumari, along with others, had earlier made efforts to raise funds to pay “
blood money” — a provision under Islamic Sharia law where the victim’s family can pardon the perpetrator in exchange for financial compensation. Such a pardon would override the death sentence issued by the court.

However, with insufficient funds, Prema Kumari released an emotional video plea asking the Indian government to step in to help her daughter.

“This is my final plea. She has only a few days left. Every member of the action council has worked tirelessly to raise funds. I beg the Centre and the council to do everything possible to save her life,” she said.

In November 2023, the Indian government allocated $40,000 (approximately Rs 34 lakh) to initiate talks for Priya’s release, as reported by Indian Express. Eventually, her family may need to pay between $300,000 and $400,000 (Rs 2.57-3.43 crore) to prevent the death sentence, which could be carried out within a month.

The race against time continues as Priya’s family and support groups work tirelessly to save her life.