Influential Sunni cleric steps in as last-ditch efforts underway to save Indian nurse from Yemen death row
Nimisha Priya, a native of Kerala, is reportedly scheduled to be executed on July 16 for the alleged 2017 murder of her Yemeni business partner Talal Abdo Mahdi.
'All efforts are on to save Nimisha Priya,' her lawyer Subhash Chandran told TNIE. 'In the latest efforts, through the intervention of influential Sunni Muslim cleric Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar, we have reached out to one of the family members, as well as some local authorities and religious leaders. We are trying our best so that the family accepts the blood money and the Kerala nurse is spared from death row.'
According to sources close to the negotiations, Musliyar — who holds the title of Grand Mufti of is officially known as Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad — has stepped in personally and is making 'all possible efforts' to open a channel of reconciliation. He has reportedly held talks with religious authorities in Yemen, who in turn are in contact with the victim's family.
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Nimisha Priya case: Trouble for Kerala nurse? Yemeni family demands 'implementing God's Law in Qisas'
Nimisha Priya Case: The scheduled execution of Indian nurse Nimisha Priya in Yemen has been postponed, offering a temporary reprieve. However, the family of her former business partner, Talal Abdo Mahdi, remains steadfast in their demand for the strict application of God's Law in Qisas, signalling a grave challenge for the Kerala native. Originally set for 16 July 2025, Nimisha Priya's execution was deferred following sustained diplomatic efforts from the Indian government and intervention by influential religious leaders from Kerala, including the Grand Mufti of India. Priya is currently imprisoned in a Houthi-controlled facility in Sana'a, Yemen's capital, where India lacks formal diplomatic relations. Talal Abdo Mahdi's brother, Abdel Fateh Mahdi, has made the family's position unequivocally clear. Speaking to BBC Arabic, Abdel Fateh denied claims made by Nimisha Priya regarding abuse, exploitation, or passport confiscation. Abdel Fateh emphasised that such allegations were never presented in Yemeni court and dismissed them as 'mere rumours.' The Yemeni family insists that Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya's actions—particularly the murder of Talal followed by dismembering and hiding the body—are inexcusable, regardless of any dispute. Abdel Fateh called for the enforcement of Qisas, an Islamic law principle of retaliation in kind, which in this case means the execution of Nimisha Priya. He explicitly rejected appeals for blood money (Diyah), which under Yemeni Sharia law could allow the victim's family to accept financial compensation in exchange for pardoning the convict. He stressed, 'Nothing less than this' would be acceptable, even if it means a delay in carrying out the execution. Under Yemen's Islamic legal framework, Qisas permits a murder victim's family to demand punishment equal to the crime — in capital cases, this usually means the death penalty. However, Sharia law in Yemen also allows families to forgive the accused in exchange for diyah, or blood money, which is a negotiated settlement aimed at reconciliation. Acceptance of Diyah can lead to a pardon and commute the sentence. In Nimisha Priya's case, the Yemeni victim's family's refusal to accept Diyah leaves her fate dependent on implementing the Qisas principle. Nimisha Priya, a nurse from Kerala's Palakkad district, moved to Yemen in 2008 and later formed a business partnership with Talal Abdo Mahdi, operating a medical clinic in Sana'a. In 2017, following alleged harassment and attempts to recover her passport, Nimisha Priya reportedly sedated Talal with Ketamine to escape. The overdose led to the Yemeni national's death, and in panic, she dismembered his body, resulting in her arrest and conviction for murder. Nimisha Priya was sentenced to death in 2020, with her appeal dismissed in 2023 by Yemen's Supreme Judicial Council. Nimisha Priya's execution, scheduled for 16 July, has been postponed as of 15 July 2025, following last-minute talks with the victim's family. The Government of India continues to work closely with Yemeni authorities, despite limitations imposed by the political situation and lack of official ties with the Houthi administration. Religious leaders from Kerala have played a pivotal role in mediation, with prayers and dialogues contributing to the postponement. Human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, have urged Yemen to impose a moratorium on executions and consider commutation of death sentences. With the family of Talal Abdo Mahdi firmly refusing any settlement short of execution, Nimisha Priya's fate remains uncertain. The insistence on Qisas means that without the family's forgiveness or a change in stance, the death sentence remains the law of the land.
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Nimisha Priya Case: How Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad intervened to defer Kerala nurse's execution in Yemen
Nimisha Priya Case: The execution of Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya, who has been on death row in Yemen since 2020, was deferred on July 15, a day before the scheduled date. This confirmation came a day after Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar, the general secretary of the All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama and chancellor of Jamia Markaz, initiated a new mediation effort through his long-time friend and Yemeni Sufi Islamic scholar Sheikh Habib Umar bin Hafiz. The 94-year-old Musliyar, who is officially known as Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad and is revered as 'Grand Mufti of India,' held talks with religious authorities in Yemen, who were in contact with the family of Talal Abdo Mahdi, the Yemeni national she allegedly killed in 2017. On Tuesday, Abubakr announced, a press statement, that the scheduled execution has been officially postponed following his humanitarian intervention. The statement detailed the series of diplomatic and religious efforts undertaken to halt the execution. The initiative began after he was approached last Friday by Chandy Oommen, the Congress MLA from seeking assistance in the Nimisha Priya execution case due to the cleric's longstanding ties with leading Sufi scholars in Yemen. "With a deep sense of national responsibility and humanitarian concern, I decided to act upon this request," the 'Grand Mufti' said in the statement. Given the limited diplomatic ties between India and Yemen, he chose to activate alternate channels of influence through spiritual and tribal leaders. One of the pivotal figures in the mediation process was Habib Umar bin Hafeez, a renowned Sufi scholar from Tarim, Yemen. Upon being contacted, Habib Umar promptly began mobilising his network and initiated high-level discussions with the deceased's family, legal experts, and Yemeni judicial authorities, according to the statement. 'An emergency meeting was recently convened in North Yemen under Habib Umar's guidance, bringing together key figures including senior government officials, the Chief Judge of the Criminal Court in Sanaa, the victim's family representatives, and tribal leaders. During these discussions, the victim's family signaled openness to further dialogue before finalizing their decision,' it read. Abubakr is based in Kerala, the home state of 37-year-old Nimisha Priya. He is a revered figure among Sunni Muslims in India and across South Asia. He is widely known as the 'Grand Mufti of India', though the title is not official. Further negotiations took place this morning in Dhamar, the home region of the deceased, involving tribal leaders and the victim's legal committee, the statement said. 'Notably, Justice Mohammed bin Ameen—a senior judge, Shura Council member, and relative of the deceased—joined the mediation at the request of Habib Umar and played a crucial role in persuading the family to formally request a stay of execution,' it said. The Yemeni Special Criminal Court issued an official order, signed by Judge Rizwan Ahmed Al-Wajri and Prosecutor Swari Mudeen Mufaddal, postponing the execution originally scheduled for July 16, 2025 until further notice. "This case has been deeply sensitive and emotionally complex within the tribal society of North Yemen," noted Sheikh Abubakr. 'Until recently, even establishing communication with the victim's family was impossible. The breakthrough in dialogue now offers renewed hope for a peaceful resolution.' Abubakr confirmed that all recent developments have been formally communicated to the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. The statement said this intervention marks a critical step toward clemency in a case that has drawn national and international attention and underscores the impact of religious diplomacy and cross-border humanitarian solidarity. According to sources quoted by news agencies, blood money negotiations have taken place, and the details were conveyed to the concerned parties in Kerala. "Islam has another law. If the murderer is sentenced to death, the family of the victim has the right to pardon. I don't know who this family is, but from a long distance, I contacted the responsible scholars in Yemen,' he told news agency ANI. 'I made them understand the issues. Islam is a religion that places a lot of importance on humanity.' Under Shariah law, as applied in Yemen, blood money is a legally recognised financial compensation paid to the family of a person who has been killed. It is a legally sanctioned alternative to capital punishment in Islamic jurisprudence. 'After I requested that they intervene and take action, the scholars (in Yemen) met, discussed, and stated that they would do what they could. They have officially informed us and sent a document stating that the date of execution has been postponed, which will help facilitate the ongoing discussions," he said. Nimisha Priya, hailing from Palakkad district in Kerala, was sentenced to death in 2020, and her final appeal was rejected in 2023. She is currently imprisoned in a jail in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen. Centre informed the Supreme Court that the government could do "nothing much" in the case of the nurse facing execution on July 16. Islam is a religion that places a lot of importance on humanity. Attorney General R Venkataramani informed a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta that the government was doing "utmost possible".
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Nimisha Priya Case: This Congress MLA played a key role in halting Kerala nurse's execution in Yemen. Who is he?
Nimisha Priya Case: The execution of Nimisha Priya, the Kerala nurse on a death row in Yemen since 2020, was deferred on July 15, a day before the scheduled date. Prominent Muslim cleric Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar, originally named Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, is being hailed for initiating the mediation efforts through his long-time friend and Yemeni Sufi Islamic scholar Sheikh Habib Umar bin Hafiz. But who prompted Abubakar to intervene? Abubakr's office issued a formal statement on July 15 saying that the initiative began after the cleric was approached last Friday by Chandy Oommen, the Congress MLA from Puthuppally. Chandy sought the Grand Mufti's assistance due to his longstanding ties with leading Sufi scholars in Yemen, the statement said. "With a deep sense of national responsibility and humanitarian concern, I decided to act upon this request," the Grand Mufti said. Oommen had also approached several other influential figures, including Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, for intervention. "Beyond his role as a Governor, he acted as a fellow human being. His sincere efforts will never be forgotten by Kerala and its people. I thank him from the bottom of my heart," Oommen said after the execution was halted, adding that the Governor reached out to foreign governments, businessmen, and officials. "He did whatever he could," the Congress MLA said after the execution was deferred. Oommen, son of late Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, met Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Wednesday to seek urgent intervention in the case. Oommen was accompanied by his mother, Mariyamma Oommen, during the meeting at Raj Bhavan. The family has taken up the issue as a matter of moral responsibility, recalling that the late Oommen Chandy had personally advocated for Nimisha Priya's release in his final days. "Appa (father) gave this issue priority even amid his own health struggles. He spoke to everyone who visited him about intervening in Nimisha's case," Chandy Oommen said. 'We believe this is one of the responsibilities he entrusted to us. Now, with the date of execution approaching, we cannot remain silent,' he said in a Facebook post. Nimisha Priya, 38, a nurse from Palakkad district in Kerala, was convicted of murdering her Yemeni business partner in 2017. She was sentenced to death in 2020, and her final appeal was rejected in 2023. She is currently imprisoned in a jail in Sana'a, the capital of Yemen. Chandy Oommen, 39, is an Indian lawyer, lecturer, and Congress MLA who practices law at the Supreme Court of India since 2016. He is the incumbent Member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly representing the Puthuppally Assembly constituency since 2023. Chandy was the Chairman of the National Outreach Cell of the Indian Youth Congress. On September 9, 2024, the Government of India appointed Oommen as the Empanelled Advocate to represent the National Highways Authority of India in Courts in Kerala. Chandy Oommen was born on March 1 1986 in Puthuppally, Kottayam district of Kerala, India as the only son of former chief minister Oommen Chandy and Mariamma Oommen. Chandy completed his schooling at St Thomas Residential School, Thiruvananthapuram, and Loyola School, Thiruvananthapuram. He then went to Mar Ivanios College, Thiruvananthapuram, for a bachelor's degree in economics. He then pursued his bachelor's ( BA Hons) and master's (MA) degrees in history at St. Stephen's College, Delhi, where he was the president of the college students' union from 2006 to 2007. After completing his post-graduation, he went on to earn an LLB from Delhi University and an LLM in criminology from the National Law University, Delhi. Additionally, he completed a summer course at the London School of Economics. Subsequently, he obtained an additional LLM in constitutional law from Christ University, Bengaluru in 2016. With a deep sense of national responsibility and humanitarian concern, I decided to act upon this request. Chandy's father, Oommen Chandy, represented the Puthuppally Assembly constituency consecutively for 53 years. Puthuppally by-election was necessitated by the death of his father in July 2023. Chandy was selected as the candidate of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). Chandy won the by-poll with a record margin of 37,719 votes against Jaick C Thomas of the Left Democratic Front (LDF). It was the highest margin for any candidate in the history of the Puthuppally assembly election.
