Yemeni authorities postponed the execution of Nimisha Priya, a nurse from Kerala, India, scheduled for July 16, 2025, following negotiations involving Indian officials and religious leaders. Priya, convicted of murdering her Yemeni business partner in 2017, remains in a Sana’a prison.
Priya, 38, from Palakkad, Kerala, moved to Yemen in 2008 to work as a nurse. She later opened a clinic with Talal Abdo Mahdi, a Yemeni national. Their partnership deteriorated due to business disputes and harassment, including Mahdi stealing Priya’s money and passport. In July 2017, Priya injected Mahdi with a sedative to retrieve her passport, but he died. Authorities arrested Priya while she attempted to flee Yemen. A Yemeni court sentenced her to death in 2020, and her final appeal was rejected in 2023.
The Indian government engaged with Yemeni jail and prosecution officials to delay the execution. India lacks diplomatic relations with the Houthi-controlled Sana’a, complicating efforts. The government explored “diyat” or blood money as an alternative to execution under Sharia law, but negotiations faced challenges. On July 15, 2025, Yemeni authorities suspended the execution, granting time for further talks with Mahdi’s family, who hold the decision to accept blood money or grant a pardon.
Sheikh Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar, India’s Grand Mufti, played a key role by contacting Yemeni scholars to negotiate with Mahdi’s family. An emergency meeting in North Yemen, guided by Sufi scholar Sheikh Habib Umar, included senior officials, the Chief Judge of Sana’a’s Criminal Court, and tribal leaders. The victim’s family signaled openness to dialogue. Aboobacker’s office in Yemen facilitates ongoing blood money negotiations.
Priya’s mother, Premakumari, traveled to Yemen in 2024 to support efforts to secure her daughter’s release. She expressed relief at the postponement and hopes to bring Priya home. The Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, along with Congress MLA Chandy Oommen and businessman M.A. Yusuf Ali, who offered financial support, also contributed to the efforts. The Supreme Court of India, informed of the government’s limited options on July 14, 2025, scheduled a hearing for July 18, 2025.
Negotiations continue to secure a pardon or blood money agreement, with no new execution date set. The Indian government and advocacy groups remain in contact with Yemeni authorities to resolve the case. (Rh/Eth/RS)
