In a crucial milestone in the case of Nimisha Priya, an Indian woman facing the death penalty in Yemen for murdering a Yemeni civilian, former Supreme Court Justice Kurian Joseph has consented to head a mediation effort to secure her release.
Nimisha Priya, a Keralite who is facing execution in Yemen, will be represented by former Supreme Court Judge Kurian Joseph who will lead the legal team seeking her release. Justice Kurian Joseph will coordinate efforts at the federal, state, and local levels to gain her release from jail by paying blood money to the family of the deceased. As part of its work with the family of killed Yemeni citizen Talal Mohammed, the team, chaired by Justice Kurian Joseph, will coordinate conversations with the family of Talal Mohammed.
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Earlier this year, Priya was found guilty of the murder of Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mahdi. Her appeal was similarly denied by the Yemeni Court of Cassation and Appeal.
Yemeni law allows for the release of a convicted criminal if the victim’s family agrees to forgive the offense. In addition, the legislation permits the payment of blood money to the victim’s family in exchange for the victim’s forgiveness.
Priya’s freedom has been secured via the efforts of two teams of people. While Justice Joseph, along with a few former diplomats, will collaborate with government and non-governmental organizations, as well as international organizations, Priya’s mother and daughter will travel to Yemen in an attempt to meet with the victim’s family to hold talks and offer an apology to the family of the victim.
Supreme Court advocate KR Subhash Chandran, social activists Rafeeq Rauthar and Babu John, as well as attorney Deepa Joseph, will be with Priya’s family at the funeral service.
Earlier, an organization called Save Nimisha Priya had filed a petition with the Delhi High Court, requesting that the Central government instruct the State government to undertake diplomatic efforts with the victim’s family.
Nimisha Priya was found guilty of murdering Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mahdi in 2017 by injecting sedatives into his body. She was sentenced to life in prison. According to the police report, the reason for the crime was that she wished to obtain her passport, which was now in the custody of Mahdi. Mahdi had also fabricated paperwork, according to Priya, to prove that she was legally married to him. Furthermore, she claimed that Mahdi had mistreated and tormented her.
Recently, the “Save Nimisha Priya Council” filed a writ case in the Delhi High Court, requesting that the Union Government intervene on her behalf and free her from detention. It informed the Court that it will take proactive actions to file an appeal against her conviction. She was sentenced to prison. The Centre, on the other hand, stated that it would be unable to join in the discussions with the victim’s family. The Centre, on the other hand, agreed to offer all required consular assistance and to make travel arrangements for the negotiators. The petition was dismissed by the Court, which stated that it could not give a directive to the Center to enter into discussions with the victim’s family for them to accept the blood money.
The term “blood money” refers to the monetary restitution paid by a criminal or his kin to the victim’s family.
