A fresh petition has been filed in the Supreme Court of India seeking urgent intervention to stop the scheduled execution of Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya in Yemen on July 16, 2025.
This petition, filed by an organisation called "Save Nimisha Priya Action Council", is urging the central government to initiate diplomatic talks with Yemen to save Nimisha's life. Senior advocate Ragan Basant, assisted by advocate K. Subhash Chandran, mentioned the matter before a partial working day bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi.
"Under Sharia law, if the victim's family accepts blood donation, a person can be released. Diplomatic talks can help explore this option," advocate Ragan Basant told the Supreme Court bench.
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Justice Dhulia asked the reason behind the death penalty.
Basant said: "I am an Indian citizen from Kerala. Went there for a job as a nurse. A local person started torturing me…and I was killed."
The bench initially agreed to list the matter on July 14. However, Basant urged that the matter should be listed urgently, on the same day or the next day, given the short time left for possible diplomatic intervention.
"Please fix the date of hearing today or tomorrow as 16th is the date of execution. Even through diplomatic means, time is required," requested advocate Basant.
The bench agreed to hear the matter on an early date on July 11.
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Background of the case
Nimisha Priya was sentenced to death in 2017 for killing a Yemeni national named Talal Abdo Mahdi in Yemen. Reports suggest that she had allegedly administered anesthesia to the man to get back her passport, which he was holding. She had also allegedly faced continuous torture and abuse by the man.
Earlier, Nimisha's mother had moved the Delhi High Court seeking permission to visit Yemen and directly interact with the victim's family. In response, the central government had informed the court in November 2023 that Nimisha's appeal had been rejected by the Supreme Court of Yemen.
Taking this into account, the Delhi High Court had directed the government to consider her representation sympathetically. The mother had approached the court despite the Yemen travel ban on Indian citizens.
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This urgent petition filed in the Supreme Court aims to provide a last legal and diplomatic opportunity to save Nimisha Priya's life before the date of execution.