Indians in foreign jails: As Kerala’s Nimisha Priya recently made headlines over her death penalty in Yemen, questions were raised during Parliament’s ongoing Monsoon session about the number of Indian citizens languishing in foreign prisons.
How many Indians in foreign prisons?
In a written statement on July 25 in Lok Sabha, Minister of State (MoS), External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said that the total number of Indians imprisoned in foreign nations is 10,574.
“As per the information available with the Ministry, the number of Indian prisoners, including undertrials, in foreign prisons at present is 10574,” Singh said. The minister was responding to a question raised by Lok Sabha MPs VK Sreekandan, Kodikunnil Suresh, Thiru Thanga Tamilselvan and Dr Ganapathy Rajkumar P.
Singh further said: “Due to strong privacy laws prevailing in many countries, the local authorities do not share information on prisoners unless the person concerned consents to the disclosure of such information. Even, countries which share information do not generally provide detailed information about the foreign nationals imprisoned.”
(Source: As per written statement by MoS External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh in Lok Sabha on July 25, 2025)
How many Indians are on death row in foreign prisons?
According to the minister, 43 Indian nationals are currently facing death sentences in 11 countries. The highest number is in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), while seven countries – Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, the United States, and Yemen – each have one Indian on death row.
(Source: As per written statement by MoS External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh in Lok Sabha on July 25, 2025)
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The Union Minister also stated that the government attaches high priority to the safety, security and well-being of Indian nationals in foreign countries, including those in foreign jails.
“Indian Missions/Posts abroad remain vigilant and closely monitor the incidents of Indian nationals being put in jail in foreign countries for violation/ alleged violation of local laws. As soon as the information about the detention/arrest of an Indian national is received by an Indian Mission/Post, it immediately gets in touch with the local Foreign Office and other concerned local authorities to get consular access to the detained/arrested Indian national to ascertain the facts of the case, confirm his/her Indian nationality and ensure his/her welfare. Missions/Posts remain vigilant to ensure that rights of the Indian prisoners in foreign jails are protected,” the minister added.
