NEW DELHI: The execution of Indian nurse Nimisha Priya, scheduled for July 16 in Yemen, has been postponed, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, officials confirmed that Yemeni local authorities have agreed to delay the execution, following sustained diplomatic efforts by various quarters, including intervention of a spiritual leader from Kerala who reached out to convince the family of Yemeni victim to accept blood money.
"The Government of India, which has been extending all possible assistance since the beginning of the case, made concerted efforts in recent days to seek more time for Ms. Nimisha Priya’s family to reach a mutually agreeable resolution with the victim’s family," a source said.
Despite the diplomatic sensitivities and complex legal backdrop, Indian officials have remained in close contact with Yemeni jail authorities and the prosecutor’s office, they said.
Nimish Priya was convicted in connection with the death of a Yemeni national and has been on death row.
The case has drawn significant attention in India and internationally, with appeals from various quarters for clemency and diplomatic intervention.
Further developments are awaited as her family and other legal representatives continue negotiations in Yemen.
In a message posted on Instagram, influential Sunni Muslim cleric Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar noted that the prayers are being heard now. The order of a copy putting off the execution of Nimisha Priya has been received officially. Let Allah's blessings be upon all who had worked and prayed for Nimisha evading the execution, he said in the message in Malayalam.