The international action council initiated by members of NRI group Loka Kerala Sabha and 'Kerala Pravasi Sangam' has written a letter to Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan. The letter seeks his assistance in Indian nurse Nimisha Priya’s case. The council was set up to help Nimisha, who is sentenced for death in Yemen. They have sought help from the CM asking to provide directions and other assistance required to transfer the ‘blood money’ that can save her from the death penalty, as per Yemeni law.

Hailing from Kerala’s Palakkad, Nimisha has been jailed since 2017 in Yemen over the murder case of a Yemen national. Her family alleged that she was sentenced with the death penalty because she did not receive any legal aid in the country. Recently, a higher court in Yemen upheld her sentence. From jail, Nimisha recounted to TNM the grave adversities she underwent, which led to the murder.

The action council, consisting of a section of members of the the Loka Kerala Sabha, Kerala Pravasi Sangam, journalists and social workers, are trying to negotiate with the family of the deceased man to accept ‘blood money’ to save Nimisha from the death sentence.

“The apprehension whether the Yemeni family and their tribe will accept the blood money or not still persists. The action council is aimed to crowdsource this huge amount of money, which is unbearable for the humble family of Nimisha, once the Yemeni family accepts this. Social workers in Yemen are trying to help us in the negotiation with the family. We request you to give the necessary guidelines which will be required to transfer this fund to Yemen once we collect it for Nimisha,” the letter to the Kerala CM states.

Nimisha’s husband, their seven-year-old daughter and her mother live in Kerala. The family has even lost their house in trying to help Nimisha, the letter adds.

The action council has also asked Pinarayi Vijayan to take up the matter with the union government and to ensure their help when the transfer is required.