The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday confirmed its awareness of the death sentence issued to Nimisha Priya, an Indian nurse in Yemen. The MEA reassured that the government is extending all possible support in her case. The MEA statement comes after the death sentence to the malayali nurse was confirmed by Yemen President Rashad al-Alimi.
In response to media queries regarding the case of Nimisha Priya, MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “We are aware of the sentencing of Ms. Nimisha Priya in Yemen. We understand that the family of Ms. Priya is exploring relevant options. The government is extending all possible help in the matter.”
Our response to media queries regarding the case of Ms. Nimisha Priya:https://t.co/DlviLboqKG pic.twitter.com/tSgBlmitCy
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) December 31, 2024
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Nimisha Priya, a trained nurse, has been working in Yemen for several years. Her family, including her husband and minor daughter, returned to India in 2014 due to financial constraints, as per a report on IANS. That same year, Yemen descended into civil war and the country ceased issuing new visas, preventing their return.
In 2015, Nimisha collaborated with a Yemeni national, Mahdi, to establish a clinic in Sana’a, Yemen’s capital. Yemeni law requires nationals to be involved in setting up businesses prompting her to seek Mahdi’s assistance. However, during a visit to Kerala in 2015, Mahdi allegedly stole a wedding photograph of Nimisha and later doctored it to falsely claim that he was married to her.
In July 2017, Nimisha sought assistance from a warden at a jail near her clinic. The warden advised her to sedate Mahdi and persuade him to hand over her passport. However, the sedation had no effect on Mahdi who was a substance abuser. In a second attempt, she used a stronger sedative to retrieve her passport but Mahdi succumbed to a drug overdose within minutes, as per the report.
In 2018, Nimisha, who was arrested while attempting to flee the country, was convicted in the case.
