As Nimisha Priya’s family and Indian officials continue urgent negotiations, offering 'blood money' remains the only legal avenue to halt her scheduled execution.
Nimisha Priya, a 37-year-old nurse from Kerala, is facing the death penalty in Yemen for the alleged murder of her Yemeni business partner, Talal Abdo Mahdi, in 2018. Her execution has been approved by Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi and is set to take place on July 16.
In a last-ditch effort to save her life, Priya’s family has proposed a payment of $1 million (approximately ₹8.6 crore) as blood money—an option permitted under Yemen’s Sharia law, which allows the victim’s family to grant a pardon in exchange for compensation.
Babu John, an activist with the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, told NDTV on Friday that negotiations are ongoing. “Samuel Jerome, the family’s power of attorney holder, is in Sana’a and leading talks on our behalf. It has taken months of effort to reach this point. We've put forward the $1 million offer, but the victim’s family has yet to accept or reject it. If they agree, we will mobilize the funds immediately to secure a pardon for Nimisha.”