Last hope for Nimisha Priya? Sunni leader steps in ahead of execution in Yemen

India Today

20 hours ago

Intense efforts are underway to halt the execution of Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya, which is scheduled for tomorrow in Yemen, for the murder of a Yemeni national, news agency PTI reported. A prominent Sunni Muslim leader - Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar, who holds the title of Grand Mufti of India - has stepped in for discussions with the family of the victim, Talal Abdo Mahdi, to convince them to accept 'blood money' in exchange for forgiveness.advertisementKanthapuram, 94, who is officially known as Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, held talks with religious authorities in Yemen. Following that, a meeting has been scheduled in Dhamar today under the leadership of prominent scholar and Sufi leader Sheikh Habib Umar bin Hafiz, at the behest of Kanthapuram. Representatives of Umar bin Hafiz will participate in the meeting with Mahdi's family.Kanthapuram's office said a close relative of the victim, who is also the Chief Justice of the Hodeidah State Court and a member of the Yemeni Shura Council, has arrived in Dhamar to take part in the talks today. He was advised to do the same by Umar bin Hafiz.
"The fact that he is a follower of Sheikh Habib Umar's Sufi order and the son of another prominent Sufi leader offers great hope. Along with persuading the family, he is also expected to meet the Attorney General to initiate urgent efforts to postpone the execution scheduled for tomorrow," PTI reported, quoting the statement by Kanthapuram's office.The statement added that the family's agreement to hold talks with the representatives of Umar bin Hafiz is being seen as a "positive signal towards our efforts to halt the scheduled execution for the time being".The PTI report said that Mahdi's murder is an emotional matter not only for the family, but also among the tribes and the residents of the Dhamar region. Kanthapuram's office said this was the reason why no contact could have been established with the victim's family before. "It was only through Kanthapuram's intervention that communication with the family became possible for the first time."Today's discussion is focused on reaching a final decision about the acceptance of the blood money, PTI reported.The government on Monday told the Supreme Court that there was "nothing much" they could do to secure the release or stop the execution of Nimisha Priya. Attorney General R Venkataramani informed a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta that the government was trying its best "at a private level" and has contacted some sheikhs and other influential people in Yemen.Nimisha Priya, a nurse from Kerala's Palakkad, was sentenced to death by a local court in Yemen in 2020. Her family's appeal in Yemen's Supreme Court, challenging the decision, was dismissed in 2023. In January this year, Mahdi al-Mashat, President of the rebel Houthis' Supreme Political Council, approved her execution.advertisementShe is currently imprisoned in a jail in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen.As per Yemen's Sharia law, Nimisha Priya can only get a reprieve if the victim's family accepts the blood money or 'diyah', which is USD 1 million financial assistance, offered by her negotiation team.- EndsTune InMust Watch