Nimisha Priya Execution Stayed: Supreme Court Informed New Mediator Enters Yemen Death Row Talks

New Delhi, [Current Date: October 16, 2025] – The Supreme Court of India was informed today that the execution of Kerala expat and nurse, Nimisha Priya, who is on death row in Yemen for the murder of a Yemeni national, has been stayed for the time being and that “nothing adverse” is currently transpiring in the case.

Appearing before a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, Attorney General R. Venkataramani, representing the Centre, stated that a “new mediator has stepped into the picture” regarding the diplomatic and negotiation efforts. The counsel for the petitioner organization, ‘Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council,’ also confirmed the execution’s temporary stay.

The Attorney General noted that the presence of a new mediator is a positive development, adding that the “only good thing is, nothing adverse is happening.”

The court was hearing a plea seeking a directive to the Central Government to utilize diplomatic channels to secure the release of the 38-year-old nurse. Nimisha Priya was convicted in 2017 for the murder of her Yemeni business partner, sentenced to death in 2020, and had her final appeal rejected in 2023.

The bench scheduled the next listing of the matter for January 2026, allowing the parties the liberty to request an earlier hearing should the situation necessitate it.

Earlier court proceedings had confirmed that her previously scheduled execution had been postponed. The Centre’s ongoing efforts include exploring the option of paying “blood money” (Diyya) to the victim’s family, a form of compensation permissible under Sharia law that could lead to a pardon. Nimisha Priya’s mother is currently in Yemen to engage in negotiations with the victim’s family, a visit facilitated by a directive from the Delhi High Court.