MEA refutes claims of death sentence cancellation for Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya in Yemen

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has dismissed recent claims suggesting that the death sentence of Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya, convicted in a 2017 murder case in Yemen, has been officially revoked.

MEA sources told India Today on Tuesday, “Information being shared by certain individuals on the Nimisha Priya case is inaccurate.” The statement comes in response to remarks made by Grand Mufti of India Kanthapuram A.P. Abubakar Musliyar, whose office had claimed a day earlier that Nimisha's death sentence had been cancelled following a high-level meeting in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen.

According to a release by the Grand Mufti’s office, “The death sentence of Nimisha Priya, which was previously suspended, has been overturned. A high-level meeting held in Sanaa decided to completely cancel the sentence that had been temporarily suspended earlier.” The remarks were also quoted by news agency ANI.

However, the Mufti's office clarified that it has yet to receive official written confirmation from the Yemeni government regarding the decision.

Nimisha Priya was convicted for the murder of a Yemeni national in 2017 and was sentenced to death. Her execution, which was initially scheduled for July 16, was halted just a day prior following a personal appeal by the Grand Mufti to Yemeni authorities seeking clemency.

The MEA continues to closely monitor the situation and remains in diplomatic contact with Yemeni counterparts.