Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], July 15 : BJP leader V. Muraleedharan applauded the decision to delay the execution of a 37-year-old nurse from Kerala in Yemen, Nimisha Priya.
He further said that the government is diligently making efforts to ensure her release at the earliest possible opportunity.
"It is good news that the execution of Nimisha Priya has been postponed. The government of India, through the MEA, have been making all efforts to get her released. But there were some technical issues, which created a roadblock. The efforts are still on and let us hope that we will be able to succeed on that," he said.
Earlier on Tuesday, the execution of Nimisha Priya, which was scheduled for July 16 in Yemen, was postponed, following "concerted efforts" by Government of India, sources told ANI, citing local authorities.
According to the sources, the postponement provides additional time for her family to negotiate a mutually agreeable solution, amid ongoing diplomatic efforts by Indian officials. These officials have maintained regular communication with Yemeni jail authorities and the prosecutor's office, while navigating the sensitivities of the situation to secure this reprieve.
"In the case of Ms. Nimisha Priya, it has been learnt that the local authorities in Yemen have postponed the execution scheduled for July 16, 2025," the sources stated.
"GOI, which has since the beginning of the case been rendering all possible assistance in the matter, has made concerted efforts in recent days to seek more time for the family of Ms. Nimisha Priya to reach a mutually agreeable solution with the other party. Despite the sensitivities involved, Indian officials have been in regular touch with the local jail authorities and the prosecutor's office, leading to securing this postponement," it added.
The 37-year-old nurse from Kerala was set to be executed on July 16 after a trial court in Yemen convicted her of killing a Yemeni national, a decision that the country's Supreme Judicial Council upheld in November 2023.
On Monday, while giving the Union Government's submission on the case in the Supreme Court the Attorney General of India (AGI) stated that the Indian government is making every possible effort to help Priya.
He further informed the Court that talks are ongoing with Yemeni authorities, including the public prosecutor handling Priya's case, to secure a suspension of the execution order until negotiations can be pursued.
The court will continue to hear the case on July 18. (ANI)