'Intervened as a human being'; Kanthapuram Abubacker Musliyar reacts to Nimishapriya's death sentence being postponed

KOZHIKODE: Kanthapuram AP Abubacker Musliyar, who made a decisive intervention in the postponement of the death sentence of Malayali nurse Nimishapriya, who is in prison in Yemen, has responded to why he intervened. "I intervened as a human being. I asked the religious scholars there to intervene for the sake of humanity," he clarified.

"Chandi Oommen has taken the responsibility of collecting donations for blood money. I will continue to intervene in the matter. I have informed the Prime Minister's Office that I will intervene. I have contacted Muslim scholars who are acceptable to the Yemeni people. They are the ones who are accepted by the entire people of that country," Kanthapuram said.

The Yemeni government ordered a stay of execution after the Sheikh of Wasabi intervened. The discussions led by Kanthapuram AP Abubakar Musliyar to cancel Nimishapriya's death sentence finally bore fruit. With this, the Attorney General issued an order to postpone the death sentence.

Private intervention was crucial at a time when India had little diplomatic opportunity to intervene. The main reason is that Nimishapriya is in a prison in Sana'a, an area where diplomatic intervention is limited for India. This area is under the control of the Houthis. Attorney General R. Venkataramani had also informed the court the other day that the central government has limits on its intervention in the matter because of this. The reason for this is the complicated situation in Yemen.

Yemen is not like other places in the world. The Center had also said that it is better to try for private intervention rather than going public and complicating the situation. This is the reason why Kanthapuram intervened in the case. The discussions held by Yemeni Sufi scholar Sheikh Habib Umar bin Hafiz, at the behest of Kanthapuram, were crucial in Nimishapriya's case.