Kerala Nurse’s Death Sentence Overturned in Yemen, Confirms Grand Mufti’s Office
In a significant development, the death penalty imposed on Nimisha Priya, a nurse from Kerala convicted in a 2017 murder case in Yemen, has been fully revoked, according to a statement from the office of India’s Grand Mufti, Kanthapuram AP Abubakar Musliyar, as reported by ANI. The decision follows intense diplomatic efforts and a high-level meeting in Sanaa, Yemen’s capital, where authorities agreed to cancel the sentence, which had been temporarily suspended earlier.
“The death sentence of Nimisha Priya, which was previously suspended, has been overturned. A high-level meeting held in Sanaa decided to completely cancel the death sentence that was temporarily suspended earlier,” the Grand Mufti’s office stated, as quoted by ANI. However, the office noted that official written confirmation from the Yemeni government is still pending.
Nimisha Priya, 38, originally from Palakkad, Kerala, moved to Yemen in 2008 seeking better job opportunities. A trained nurse, she later entered a business partnership with Yemeni citizen Talal Abdo Mahdi to operate a clinic in Sanaa. The partnership soured when Mahdi allegedly harassed her, falsely claimed to be her husband, and seized her passport, preventing her return to India. In 2017, in an attempt to recover her documents, Priya sedated Mahdi, who died of a suspected drug overdose. She was arrested, convicted of murder in 2018, and sentenced to death in 2020 by a Yemeni court.
ALSO READ : Yemeni Family Stands Firm on Retribution for Kerala Nurse’s Execution
The case drew global attention, especially after Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi and Houthi leader Mahdi al-Mashat approved the execution in late 2024 and early 2025, respectively. Priya’s execution, initially set for July 16, 2025, was postponed a day prior following a direct appeal by Grand Mufti Musliyar to Yemeni officials, urging clemency. The recent high-level meeting in Sanaa has now led to the complete cancellation of her death sentence.