Will efforts to save Indian Nurse Nimisha Priya work? Details here

New Delhi (India) July 9: According to human rights campaigner Samuel Jerome, Nimisha Priya, a nurse from Kerala who was given a death sentence in Yemen for killing a Yemeni person. She is scheduled to be executed on July 16.

According to Jerome, a member of the Save Nimisha Priya action council who has been negotiating with Yemeni officials and the victim's family, the execution notice has been sent out. Nimisha has been formally notified of the date by the jail authorities.

There is currently hope if Talal Abdo Mehdi's family takes the blood money and forgives the victim. He said, “If the family forgives, blood money will be paid. The negotiations were going on but they haven’t yet accepted the offer to forgive.” 

He also said that the family's forgiveness is the only remaining choice after all other legal alternatives have been explored. The director general of prosecution in Yemen has notified the jailer of the execution, according to the Save Nimisha Priya action council.

According to reports, the victim's family has received a USD one million compensation offer from the negotiating team. The offer was confirmed by action council member Babu John. Prema Kumari, Nimisha's mother, has been in Yemen since 2024 in order to help in saving her daughter. She is still there while efforts to gain forgiveness go on.

Nimisha Priya, who has been imprisoned since 2017 was given the death penalty by Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi on December 30 of last year.

Priya first came to Yemen in 2011 to work in Sana'a as a nurse. She stayed behind to help her husband and children when they returned to India in 2014 because of financial difficulties and growing civil instability in the area.

She later opened a clinic with Talal Abdo Mahdi, a Yemeni native as required by law for foreign medical professionals in Yemen. However, Priya claims that Mahdi threatened her, physically abused her and exploited her financially while faking documents to claim marriage.

She claimed that Mahdi controlled her with medications and denied her passport. She apparently complained of mistreatment to the local authorities but rather than being protected, she was jailed.

Priya was found guilty of Mahdi's murder. The case papers state that Mahdi had allegedly taken away Priya's passport, preventing her from going back to India and keeping her dependent on him.

In 2017, Priya tried to sedate him in order to get her passport back and leave Yemen, which led to the murder. But Mahdi died because the sedative dose became severe. Priya divided the body and disposed of it in a water tank with the help of Hanan, a local lady.

New Delhi has given the case priority diplomatic attention due to its complexity, which includes legal and geopolitical issues.

An Indian official said, “We have been closely following the matter since she was given the death sentence. We have been in regular touch with Yemeni authorities and her family members and rendered all possible assistance. We continue to closely follow the matter.”

Negotiations have been difficult due to the absence of official diplomatic channels with the Houthi government.

Aadrika Tayal