Kerala Nurse’s Death Sentence Paused in Yemen After Last-Minute Intervention

Sana’a, Yemen – Nimisha Priya, a nurse from Kerala facing execution in Yemen for the 2017 murder of a Yemeni citizen, has been granted a temporary reprieve, thanks to the concerted efforts of religious leaders and diplomatic channels. The execution, initially scheduled for July 16, 2025, was postponed following negotiations led by India’s Grand Mufti, Sheikh Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar, and Yemeni cleric Sheikh Umar bin Hafiz with the victim’s family.

Priya, who moved to Yemen in 2008 to pursue better job opportunities, initially worked in hospitals before establishing her own clinic. In 2017, she was convicted of murdering Talal Abdo Mahdi, her business partner, after a dispute. Court records indicate she administered sedatives to Mahdi to retrieve her confiscated passport, but the dosage proved fatal. A Yemeni court sentenced her to death in 2020, and her appeal was rejected by Yemen’s Supreme Judicial Council in November 2023.

The postponement came after India’s Grand Mufti reached out to Yemeni scholars, emphasizing the possibility of a pardon under Islamic law, which allows the victim’s family to forgive the offender in exchange for “diyah” or blood money. Despite an offer of $1 million (approximately Rs 8.6 crore) from Priya’s mediators, the victim’s family has so far declined the compensation. The Indian government, constrained by a lack of diplomatic ties with Yemen’s Houthi-controlled authorities in Sana’a, where Priya is imprisoned, has been actively involved in supporting these negotiations.

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Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan described the development as “comforting and hopeful,” praising the role of Sheikh Kanthapuram and the Save Nimisha Priya Action Council. The council, alongside Priya’s family, has been advocating for her release since her conviction. In 2022, Priya’s mother, Prema Kumari, and members of the action council sought permission from India’s foreign ministry to travel to Yemen to meet the victim’s family and seek forgiveness, despite a travel ban.

Priya’s husband expressed relief at the postponement, acknowledging the collective efforts of the government and various organizations. The Indian government has stated it is providing “all possible assistance” to Priya, with ongoing talks aimed at securing a permanent resolution through blood money or a pardon. As negotiations continue, Priya remains in a Sana’a prison, with her fate hinging on the outcome of these delicate discussions.