Latest news with #Diyaat
Mint
a day ago
- Politics
- Mint
Nimisha Priya will be released! Evangelist KA Paul claims victory after intense diplomatic push in Yemen, thanks PM Modi
Evangelist and Founder of Global Peace Initiative Dr KA Paul on Tuesday night (local time) claimed in a video message from Sanaa in Yemen that the death sentence to Indian Nurse Nimisha Priya has been cancelled after days and nights of extensive efforts by Yemeni and Indian leaders. Dr KA Paul in his video message, he thanked Yemeni leaders for their "powerful and prayerful efforts". Noting that the leaders worked round the clock by engaging in efforts day in night for the last ten days, Dr Paul said, , "I want to thank all the leaders that is involved to make this a great success that Nimisha Priya death is cancelled. By God's grace, she will be released and taken to India. I want to thank Prime Minister Modi ji for preparing to send, your diplomats... and take Nimisha professionally, safely." He also said that they can make logistics arrangement in conjunction with the Government of India for her safe repatriation from the Sanaa prison to Oman, Jeddah, Egypt, Iran or Turkiye. Last week during its weekly press briefing, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had provided details of the actions being taken by the Government for actively working to support Nimisha Priya. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal informed that the MEA has appointed a lawyer to assist Priya's family in navigating the complex legal process in Yemen. This includes exploring options for clemency or pardon under Sharia law. ""This is a very sensitive matter and the government of India has been offering all possible assistance in the case. We have provided legal assistance and also appointed a lawyer to assist the family. We have also arranged for regular consular visits by her family and we are also in touch with the local authorities, as also the family members to resolve this issue. This included concerted efforts in the recent few days to seek more time for the family of Ms Nimisha Priya to reach a mutually agreeable solution with the other party. The local authorities in Yemen have postponed the carrying out her sentence that was scheduled for July 16," said Jaiswal." The Indian government has arranged for regular consular visits to ensure Priya's well-being and provide her with necessary support during this challenging time. The MEA's remarks came after the Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad Kanthapuram, said on Tuesday that he spoke to scholars in Yemen to urge them for the release of 37-year-old Nimisha Priya, convicted of murder and set to be executed. The Grand Mufti claims that after his talks, the news of the execution being postponed also came in, suggesting possible influence of religious outreach alongside official diplomatic efforts. "In Islam, instead of killing, there is also a practice of giving Diya (compensation). I requested them to accept Diyaat as the party is ready here for it. There are talks going on about whether my request has to be accepted. The date of execution was tomorrow, but it has now been postponed for some days," the Grand Mufti told ANI. He further said he is not considering the religion of Priya, but rather her humanity as he requested for her release, bringing an emotional and humanitarian appeal into the discourse around the case. The Grand Mufti's statement came after sources told ANI earlier that the execution was postponed following the "concerted efforts" by the Government of India. The execution had been scheduled for July 16, and the delay has opened a window for further dialogue. 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. Last week, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had expressed relief and optimism over the postponement of the execution of Nimisha Priya. Vijayan acknowledged the persistent efforts and intervention of Kanthapuram AP Abubacker Musliyar and others, including the Action Council, who have been working tirelessly to seek justice for her.
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Yemen family breaks silence as Nimisha Priya's execution postponed after intervention by ‘Grand Mufti'
The family of Talal Abdo Mahdi, who was allegedly killed by Nimisha Priya in 2017, has broken its silence after the Kerala-based nurse's execution was postponed. Nimisha Priya is jailed in a region of Yemen and her execution was postponed just one day before schedule.(File Photo) The Yemeni national's brother Abdelfattah Mahdi has opposed to any reconciliation, or pardon to the Kerala nurse in the case. This has yet again cast doubts on how the case would proceed further, as the best bet to save Nimisha Priya would have been a pardon from Mahdi's family under the 'blood money' provision of Yemen's Sharia law. Here are key developments in Nimisha Priya's case: Temporary relief to Nimisha Priya Just as Nimisha Priya and her family were beginning to lose hope, her execution was postponed on July 15, one day before it was scheduled. While there is no official confirmation on what led to the move, a Muslim scholar, also known as the 'Grand Mufti of India', is being credited for leading negotiations that brought some relief for Nimisha and her family. Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar, a Sunni leader from India, reportedly facilitated negotiations in Yemen with help from a Sufi scholar there. The scholar's representatives reportedly met those representing Mahdi's family for discussions on stopping Nimisha's execution. The Grand Mufti said that a request was made to accept 'Diyaat', a compensation to the victim's family by Nimisha's. "In Islam, instead of killing, there is also a practice of giving Diya (compensation). I requested them to accept Diyaat as the party is ready here for it. There are talks going on about whether my request has to be accepted," the Grand Mufti was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. Besides, the Indian government was also reportedly in touch with people in Yemen on a private level to secure additional time for Priya's family to reach a "mutually agreeable" resolution with the other party. What did Yemen victim's family say? A day after Nimisha's execution was postponed, Talal Abdo Mahdi's brother Abdelfattah made a post on Facebook, reiterating a demand for her execution. In the Facebook post, originally written in Arabic, Abdelfattah Mahdi asserted that the family would not give in to any pressures to reconcile and stands firm on the demand for retribution. 'What is achieved and heard today from mediation and attempts for peace is nothing new or surprising. Throughout our years, there have been hidden pursuits and efforts to mediate. This is normal and the pressure has not changed anything in us. Our demand is retribution, nothing else,' Mahdi said in the post, verified by Hindustan Times. Nimisha Priya, who moved to Yemen for her professional endeveaours, partnered with Talal Abdo Mahdi in 2014 for opening a clinic. However, she was allegedly physically abused and threatened by him. In 2017, attempting to get her passport back from him so she could flee Yemen, Nimisha sedated Mahdi, but the dose proved fatal and he died. Three years later, Nimisha was sentenced to death, and in 2023, the order was upheld. July 16 was fixed as the date she would be executed, but the Kerala nurse has temporarily been saved. What next for Nimisha Priya? While the execution being deferred came as a big win for Nimisha, her family and the negotiators involved, the end goal to permanently save her and bring her back to India still remains. With Talal Abdo Mahdi's family standing firm on their demand for her execution, doubts have yet again emerged on whether Nimisha would be pardoned.
India.com
15-07-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Nimisha Priya Execution: Grand Mufti In Talks With Yemen Scholars, Pushes For Pardon
KOZHIKODE: The Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad Kanthapuram said that he spoke to scholars in Yemen to urge them for the release of 37-year-old Nimish Priya, convicted of murder and set to be executed. The Grand Mufti claims that after his talks, the news of the execution being postponed also came in. "In Islam, instead of killing, there is also a practice of giving Diya (compensation). I requested them to accept Diyaat as the party is ready here for it. There are talks going on about whether my request has to be accepted. The date of execution was tomorrow, but it has now been postponed for some days," the Grand Mufti told ANI. The Grand Mufti said that he is not considering the religion of Priya, but rather her humanity as he requested for her release. "We have demanded this as human beings. If such a demand is accepted, then it will be very easy for Muslims in India. Muslims and Hindus all live on the same platform here," he said. Earlier, Congress leader KC Venugopal also hailed the postponement of the execution, saying that "whoever is involved," in saving the Kerala nurse's life is appreciated. "We got the information that Nimisha Priya's death sentence has been postponed. We all requested the Central government to intervene in the matter, but we got the information that Grand Mufti Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad Kanthapuram has intervened. Whosoever is involved in saving the human life of the woman of Kerala is welcome," Venugopal said. The Mufti's remarks come after sources told ANI earlier that the execution of the 37-year-old nurse from Kerala was postponed following the "concerted efforts" by the Government of India. The execution was earlier set to happen on July 16. According to the sources, the postponement provides additional time for her family to negotiate a mutually agreeable solution amidst ongoing diplomatic efforts by Indian officials as they 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. 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.
