Nimisha Priya: Last-Minute Efforts To Save Indian Nurse From Execution In Yemen

Nimisha Priya, a Kerala nurse on death row in Yemen, was granted a reprieve just a day before she was set to be executed on July 16. However, the family of the murder victim, Talal Abdo Mahdi, has put forth the demand of the ‘God's Law in Qisas,' saying they will not accept anything but Nimisha Priya’s death as her punishment. Abdelfattah (Abdel Fateh) Mahdi, brother of the victim, said that they would not accept the 'blood money' negotiation and demanded "nothing less than her execution." 

Priya is on death row in Yemen for her involvement in the murder of Talal Abdo Mahdi, a Yemeni national who allegedly abused her, according to reports. She was convicted of the crime in 2018 and was sentenced to death in 2020, prompting continuous diplomatic efforts by India's Ministry of External Affairs to bring her back home. She remains incarcerated in Sana'a, the Houthi-held capital of Yemen. India does not have any diplomatic relations with the Houthis.

In November 2023, the Supreme Judicial Council of Yemen upheld her death sentence. Last year, the war-torn country's President Rashad al-Alimi gave final approval. Indian authorities have been actively working to prevent Priya’s execution. Priya's family and supporters have been trying to negotiate a 'blood money' deal with the victim's family so that Priya can get pardoned under Yemen's Sharia law.

Following intense diplomatic efforts by India and intervention from religious figures, the postponement offers a small window for negotiation, butonly a pardon by the victim’s family or acceptance of blood money can ultimately save her life. 

Victim's family's r

Abdelfateh posted a statement on Facebook, reading, "Our demand is clear: Qisas (retribution), and nothing else, no matter what. The execution has now been postponed — unfortunately, we did not expect this, especially since those who stopped it are well aware of our absolute rejection of any form or method of reconciliation. In any case, what follows the setting of an execution date is harder than what came before."

He added that the family will follow through with the execution until it is carried out. "No postponement will stop us. No pressure will shake us. Blood cannot be bought. Justice cannot be forgotten. Qisas will come, no matter how long the road — it’s only a matter of time. With God's help."

In an earlier interview with BBC Arabia, Abdelfattah Mahdi said that his family had suffered "not only from the brutal crime but also the long, exhausting litigation process in a horrible and heinous but obvious crime case." He added, "Any dispute, whatever its reasons and however big, can never justify a murder — let alone dismembering, mutilating, and hiding the body."

Background of the Case

Nimisha Priya, a nurse and mother of two originally from Kollengode in Kerala’s Palakkad district, moved to Yemen for work in 2008. After working in various hospitals, she opened her own clinic. However, in 2017, a dispute with her Yemeni business partner, Talal Abdo Mahdi, reportedly took a tragic turn. 

Nimisha Priya stands accused of the murder of Mahdi. She claimed that he forged documents to claim marriage with her and subjected her to years of physical abuse, financial exploitation, and threats. The prosecution alleges that she injected him with sedatives to retrieve her passport from his possession. 

Unfortunately, Mahdi succumbed to an overdose, leading to grave charges against Priya. Reports suggest that she, along with her colleague Hanan, a Yemeni national, dismembered Mahdi's body and disposed of it in a water tank. Priya was sentenced to capital punishment, while Hanan was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Blood money deal

Nimisha Priya's family in India and campaigns like the Save Nimisha Priya Action Council have made numerous efforts to secure her release. Her mother, Premakumari, has been in Yemen since April 2024 to negotiate her daughter's case. Even though the Indian government has banned travel to Yemen since 2015, Premakumari sought special permission from the Centre and reportedly sold her house in Kerala to travel to the war-torn country to secure Priya's release. 

Priya's husband, Tony Thomas, reportedly agreed to enter a "diyat" or blood money deal, a compensation agreed upon by the victim's family to secure her release. Priya's fate depends entirely on the willingness of the victim's family to accept the deal, the only legal alternative to capital punishment under Yemeni law. The case has triggered many citizen-led campaigns and appeals from human rights organisations, urging urgent intervention from the Indian government and international agencies.

Samuel Joseph, a member of the Save Nimisha Priya Action Council, told CNN, "I am optimistic. I’m spiriting the efforts here, and by god’s grace, we've got people who are helping. The government of India is directly involved, and there’s nothing more I can say at this point of time." Joseph is an Indian social worker who has been living in Yemen since 1999. The Save Nimisha Priya Action Council has raised about ₹5 million for Priya’s release and to negotiate with the victim’s family.

Attorney General R Venkataramani of the Supreme Court of India describes the case as "very complex" with "nothing much that can be done." He added, "The only way is if the family (of the victim) agrees to accept the 'blood money'," Venkataramani said, referring to the financial compensation mentioned in the Quran that must be paid to the family of a murdered person for pardon. The murder victim's family reserves the right to accept or reject this 'blood money'.