KOCHI: Efforts to secure the release of Nimisha Priya, native of Thekkinchira in Kollankodu in Palakkad, who is serving a death sentence in the murder case of a Yemeni national, have almost stopped. It is learned that the brother and sister of the victim are not cooperating with the efforts to secure Nimisha Priya's release by taking blood money and the tribal leaders have withdrawn from the talks.

With no established government in Yemen, where the civil conflict is raging, diplomatic moves are limited. The only relief is that women have not been executed in Yemen since 1996.

Nimisha Priya's mother Premakumari, who arrived in Yemen on April 20, got the opportunity to meet and talk to Nimisha Priya only once. Premakumari is staying at the residence of expat social activist Samuel Jerome.

A lawyer in Yemen says the tribal chiefs are demanding more money. Save Nimisha Priya Action Council had handed over $20,000 collected from the public after her lawyer informed that $40,000 would be required for Nimisha Priya's release.

Sponsorship that started everything

Nimisha Priya was sentenced to death in 2017 for the murder of Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mahdi. Nimisha Priya joined her husband Tomy in 2012 as a nurse in Yemen. He sought Talal's help to start his own clinic. The venture cannot be started without the sponsorship of a Yemeni national. Talal embezzled the money handed over by Nimisha Priya and her husband. Tommy had to return home in the meantime. Nimisha Priya's argument is that Talal's behaviour changed and he married her by threatening her. She was brutally beaten up for lodging a complaint with the authorities. Nimisha Priya was arrested after Talal was found murdered.