Exclusive - Lot of Jokers In Circus: Samuel Jerome On KA Paul's Release Claim On Nurse Nimisha Priya

The case of Nimisha Priya, a Kerala-born nurse on death row in Yemen, is complicated by the nation's decade-long civil war and India's limited diplomatic presence. Priya has been imprisoned in the capital, Sana'a, since 2017, convicted of murdering her business partner, Talal Abdo Mahdi.

However, Sana'a is controlled by the Houthi movement (Ansar Allah), a group that India does not officially recognize. New Delhi's diplomatic ties are with the internationally recognized government in Aden, which hampers direct intervention.

Following the diplomatic efforts by the Indian government, Priya's execution was postponed to allow for negotiations toward a "mutually agreeable solution" with the victim's family. The 2017 incident occurred when Priya reportedly sedated Mahdi to retrieve her passport, but he died from an overdose. A native of Kerala's Palakkad district, Priya had been working in Yemen since 2008.

However, evangelist KA Paul, in a post on X, has claimed that the Indian will be released. Is there any truth in his claims? In an exclusive conversation with OneIndia, Samuel Jerome Bhaskaran, a key member of the team working to save Nimisha, breaks down the legal, diplomatic, and cultural nuances at play - and firmly responds to misinformation:

On Current Legal Status of Nimisha Priya

"Let's first talk about the legal state of Nimisha. See, the government of Yemen has given an indefinite stay. What that means is there is no specific date for execution. So this indefinite means it doesn't mean that it is an open thing. If Abdul Fata's family go and press for a date, they will give a date. The right is with the family of brother Abdul Fata and entirely the pardon and the right for execution - everything lies with brother Abdul Fata. You need to understand this."

He adds, "If they go to the public prosecutor's office and if they press for a date, then the date will be given. So that is the legal status."

When asked about KA Paul's claim, Samuel didn't mince words:

"Now secondly, you are talking about K Paul... There can be a lot of jokers in any circus. So I'm not here to talk about jokers, I'm here to talk about the real thing. So really nothing has happened. There has been no discussion with the family... just keeping a Yemeni gentleman beside him and just giving an interview doesn't authenticate. And I don't know what his intentions are. You should ask K Paul about those things."

He warns: "Just sitting with a Yemeni gentleman and giving a press conference cannot save the life of Nimisha."

Cultural Sensitivities and the Importance of Respect

Samuel underlined that tribal customs and local sentiments must be respected during negotiations. "People who go to media do not understand Yemeni traditions and they don't have any respect for the blood of brother Talal which has been shed. And absolutely they don't have any regard for the honour of brother Abdul Fata's family."

He adds: "We understand from brother Abdul Fata that he is taking up a stand and asking for execution. When people come and say, 'we have achieved a breakthrough,' this is insulting to brother Abdul Fata. He is the one who is the sole authority for forgiveness."

On how the execution was postponed, Samuel explains:

"It is a lot of things coming together at the right time. Brother Chandy went and met the Hon'ble Governor of Kerala who took it up personally and worked with the Centre. On the other side, Sheikh Abdul Malik had spoken to people in the President's office. On Saturday, when mother, Sheikh Abdul Malik, local Indian embassy staff - because in Yemen there is no Indian embassy but local staff is still available - when we all went to the public prosecutor's office, they said they had already received a call from the President's office."

"But they also requested something. They said, can you please get a request from the Government of India. So the Government of India gave the request on Sunday morning. Sunday afternoon it was confirmed that the execution will be postponed... They also requested us, 'do not go public.' They clearly said that. So it has to be very diplomatically handled."

On 'Blood Money' and Misconceptions:

"First of all, I want to take out of people's minds the term 'blood money'. There is something in Arabic called diya. Blood money in English is a bad thing. When you say blood money, people think that we go and sit with the family and tell them how much money we give. No, no, no."

He continues: "I have been telling this in all the media. Imagine somebody is killed in my family and the killer comes to me later and says, 'forgive me, I'll give you money.' Will you accept that? It cannot be accepted. That means they don't honour my family or the blood that was shed."

"All what happens between me and brother Abdul Fata or any of the family members - I am only authorised to ask forgiveness. I clearly say: yes, our person has committed a crime. We are sorry and we ask grace from you. We plead pardon. That is the tone of discussions. Only if the family gives a green light for forgiveness, then the discussions of money would come."

Samuel also revealed that in earlier cases, even when offers up to $5 million were made, forgiveness was not granted. "Money does not buy forgiveness."

No Legal Option Beyond Forgiveness

On whether there are any alternate legal avenues if the family doesn't pardon:
"There is no... all the right lies with the family. All the right lies with the family - exclusively the family."

He reiterates: "Nimisha is a convicted, confessed killer. That makes it more difficult... People have to understand that if we are not in the shoes of brother Abdul Fata, we can never seek forgiveness from them."

The Way Forward

Samuel closes with a clear message: "People who are trying to make cheap claims or get cheap mileage out of this issue have to understand they are playing with the life of Nimisha. People who are really involved will never go to media. This is how it is. It's an unwritten rule here in Yemen. In any tribal negotiation, people who go public are fake people. Okay?"

As of now, KA Paul's claim of Nimisha's release holds no ground, according to those directly involved in legal and diplomatic negotiations. The path ahead remains delicate, and forgiveness from the victim's family remains the only hope.