Execution of Nimisha Priya postponed following Grand Mufti’s intervention

New Delhi, July 15: The scheduled execution of Nimisha Priya, a Malayali nurse facing the death penalty in Yemen, has been postponed following the intervention of the Grand Mufti of India, Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad. The development was confirmed through a press release issued by the Grand Mufti on Tuesday. The Grand Mufti stepped in after Puthuppally MLA Chandy Oommen approached him last week, requesting help based on his close ties with Sufi scholars in Yemen. Responding to the call, Sheikh Abubakr contacted renowned Yemeni Sufi scholar Habib Umar bin Hafeez, who immediately began efforts to mediate with Yemeni authorities and the victim’s family.

An emergency meeting was held in North Yemen involving Yemeni officials, the Supreme Judge of the Criminal Court in Sanaa, tribal leaders, and Habib Umar’s representative, Habib Abdurrahman Ali Mashhoor. The victim Talal’s family indicated they would consult further before taking a final decision, the press release said.

Efforts were bolstered by Justice Mohammed bin Ameen, Chief Justice of the Hodeidah State Court and member of the Yemeni Shura Council. Acting on Habib Umar’s suggestion, he facilitated discussions that led to a formal court petition for delaying the execution.

The Special Criminal Court subsequently issued an order postponing the execution, which was originally set for July 16. The judgment, signed by Judges Rizwan Ahmed Al-Wajri and Swari Mudeen Mufaddal, offers temporary relief while reconciliation talks continue, the press release further read.

“This case has been extremely sensitive among Yemeni tribal communities, and until recently, it was not even possible to initiate dialogue with the victim’s family,” said Sheikh Abubakr. “The progress so far gives real hope.” The Grand Mufti confirmed that the developments have been formally communicated to the Office of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Meanwhile Press Trust of India reported that the execution of Nimisha Priya, an Indian nurse on death row in Yemen, has been postponed by Yemeni authorities, quoting sources. Priya, hailing from Kollengode in Kerala’s Palakkad district, has been found guilty of murdering a Yemeni citizen in July, 2017. In 2020, a Yemeni court handed her the death sentence and the country’s Supreme Judicial Council dismissed her appeal in November 2023. The 38-year-old nurse is presently lodged in a jail in Sana’a, the Yemeni capital city that is under the control of Iran-backed Houthis.