The Supreme Court of India has agreed to urgently hear a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking diplomatic intervention to save Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya from execution in Yemen, scheduled for July 16, 2025.
Filed by the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, the plea calls upon the Union Government to initiate negotiations under Sharia law provisions, allowing the victim’s family to pardon the accused in exchange for compensation, known as “blood money.”
Senior Advocate Ragenth Basant, representing the petitioner, presented the matter before Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi, stressing the time-sensitive nature of the case. Although Yemen’s appellate court upheld the conviction, it left the blood money option open, offering a potential lifeline.
The bench has listed the matter for hearing on July 14. The petitioner’s counsel emphasised prior outreach efforts to the Central Government and underscored the urgency required for diplomatic channels to function before the looming execution date.
Nimisha Priya was convicted in 2017 for the murder of Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mahdi, allegedly injecting him with sedatives in a bid to retrieve her passport. The case continues to stir emotional responses across India, with human rights activists rallying support for her clemency.
