Centre to Supreme Court: Blood Money Only Option Left to Save Kerala Nurse Nimisha Priya from Execution in Yemen

The Indian government has informed the Supreme Court that there is little more it can do to prevent the execution of Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya in Yemen, except help facilitate the payment of blood money to the victim’s family.
Nimisha Priya was convicted in 2017 for the murder of a Yemeni national and was sentenced to death. Her execution is scheduled for July 16, 2025. In Yemen, the legal system allows the victim’s family to pardon the accused in exchange for a financial settlement, known as diyah or blood money.
During a Supreme Court hearing, Attorney General R. Venkataramani said that diplomatic efforts have reached their limit as India has no formal diplomatic ties with Yemen. He clarified that the government cannot officially negotiate or interfere in a private legal matter under Yemeni law.
The court was hearing a plea from a civil group seeking urgent intervention to save Nimisha. The group, along with her family, has been raising funds to offer blood money to the victim’s family, but they have not yet received a positive response.
The Supreme Court is expected to take up the matter again on July 14. With time running out, public appeals and fundraising efforts have intensified in Kerala and across India.
Political leaders, including Mehbooba Mufti and Kerala MPs, have urged the Indian government to take all possible steps. Mufti has also called on Indian women to contribute to the blood money fund to help save Nimisha’s life.
As the deadline approaches, the fate of Nimisha Priya now rests on whether the victim’s family accepts the blood money and grants her a pardon.