Indian and international efforts are intensifying to prevent the execution of 37-year-old Indian nurse Nimisha Priya, who is scheduled to be hanged on July 16 in Yemen.
Priya, a native of Kerala, was sentenced to death for the 2017 murder of her Yemeni business partner Talal Abdo Mahdi, reported NDTV.
The case, marked by allegations of abuse, a failed partnership and complex international diplomacy, has gripped the attention of human rights groups, activists and the Indian government.
Priya, who moved to Yemen in 2011 to work as a nurse, partnered with Mr Mahdi in 2015 to open a clinic in Sanaa. Their relationship reportedly soured after Mr Mahdi allegedly forged marriage documents, confiscated Priya’s passport and subjected her to physical and emotional abuse.
According to court documents, Priya attempted to sedate Mr Mahdi to retrieve her passport, but he died from an apparent overdose. His dismembered body was found in a water tank, leading to Priya’s arrest.
In 2020, a trial court sentenced her to death, and the Yemeni Supreme Judicial Council upheld the ruling in 2023. In January 2024, the Houthi-led administration’s political council approved the execution, and authorities have now confirmed that it will take place on July 16.
Under Yemen’s Islamic legal framework, there is a final hope: the tradition of diyat, or blood money, which allows a victim’s family to pardon the accused in exchange for financial compensation.
In a desperate attempt to save Priya, her supporters have raised US$1 million to offer Mr Mahdi’s family. But so far, the family has not responded.
Social activist Samuel Jerome, who is representing Priya’s mother Prema Kumari, has been negotiating directly with Mr Mahdi’s family and tribal leaders, reported the BBC.
Mr Jerome confirmed that the prison authorities in Sanaa have received formal notice of the execution. He is scheduled to return to Yemen this week to continue talks and deliver the diya offer in person.
“The execution date has been conveyed to the jail authorities,” Mr Jerome said. “We are still trying to save her. But ultimately, the family must agree to a pardon.”
Madam Prema Kumari, a domestic worker from Kochi, has been in Yemen since April 2024, lobbying tirelessly for her daughter’s release. In a recent video appeal, she pleaded with Indian authorities to intervene. “This is my final plea,” she said.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that it has been providing consular support since the case began and remains in contact with Yemeni authorities and Priya’s family. However, India’s lack of formal diplomatic channels with the Houthi-controlled regions of Yemen has complicated negotiations.
“We have been following the matter closely since she was sentenced to death,” an MEA official told reporters on July 8. “We continue to remain engaged and are rendering all possible assistance.”
Meanwhile, support has been pouring in from Priya’s hometown of Poonkayam in Kerala. Villagers, family members and childhood friends are holding prayer meetings and appealing to the Indian government for urgent diplomatic intervention.
Priya’s husband Tomy, a daily-wage worker from Idukki, said he was devastated by the prospect of his 12-year-old daughter, Michele, losing her mother.
“I’ve knocked on every door possible to save Nimisha,” he said. “My only hope now is that the government will step in to bring her home.”
Michele, who lives in a school hostel in Kothamangalam, speaks to her mother through weekly phone calls. The family says she is aware of her mother’s situation and is praying for her return.
The Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, a global advocacy group formed to campaign for her release, has played a crucial role in raising funds and awareness. The council said it remains hopeful that Mr Mahdi’s family will accept the diya and that negotiations in the final days may lead to a reprieve.
Adding a potential diplomatic angle, reports have emerged that Iran, which maintains close ties with the Houthi leadership, may be willing to support mediation efforts. If successful, such an initiative could offer a rare opening for India to secure clemency in a highly sensitive case.
Ms Vinitha Radhakrishnan, Priya’s childhood friend and schoolmate, echoed the sentiments of many who know her. “We can never imagine Nimisha killing someone,” Ms Vinitha told The Times of India. “She was honest and well-mannered. We still believe that a last-minute reprieve is possible.”
