'No Pardon, It's A Crime': Brother Of Yemeni Man Killed By Kerala Nurse Rejects Clemency
Abdelfattah Mehdi, brother of Talal Abdo Mehdi, who was allegedly murdered by Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya in 2017, has firmly rejected the possibility of a pardon for his brother's killer. Speaking to IANS, Abdelfattah stated that 'there can be no pardon" for the crime, and that Priya must face execution as ruled by the Yemeni courts. He also criticised sections of the Indian media, accusing them of 'distorting things to portray the convicted as a victim."
Nimisha Priya was scheduled to be executed on Wednesday, but a prolonged phase of multipronged negotiations has led to a temporary suspension of the execution. According to IANS, efforts to defer the sentence have seen wide-ranging interventions from the Indian government, support from agencies based in Saudi Arabia, and religious diplomacy, including outreach by Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar, the Grand Mufti of Kerala. Musliyar reportedly contacted a personal friend within Yemen's Shoora Council to mediate in the matter.
Confirming the development, CPI(M) Kerala state secretary M.V. Govindan, who met Musliyar on Wednesday morning, told reporters, 'Musliyar has told me that the execution has been kept in abeyance, and there are more aspects which are being discussed. He said people are engaged in talks with authorities in Yemen and also the family who has to give the pardon."
Under Sharia law, the family of the deceased holds the right to grant clemency in exchange for 'blood money', a legally recognised form of compensation. However, negotiations have become complicated due to reported differences of opinion within the victim's family. Religious leaders and government officials are now focused on resolving these internal divisions to pave the way for a settlement.
According to IANS, the next phase of negotiations will revolve around finalising the blood money, with Kerala billionaire MA Yusuf Ali stepping forward to offer financial assistance if needed. Priya, currently lodged in a Yemeni prison, was convicted of murdering her former business partner Talal Mehdi, allegedly by administering sedatives to him in a bid to retrieve her passport. The sedatives proved fatal, and she was arrested while trying to flee the country.
Nimisha Priya had moved to Yemen in 2008, initially working as a nurse before opening her own medical clinic. A dispute with Mehdi in 2017 led to the fatal incident. She was convicted of murder in 2018, sentenced to death in 2020, and the verdict was upheld by Yemen's Supreme Judicial Council in November 2023. However, the court allowed the possibility of clemency through a blood money arrangement, which is now the focal point of ongoing diplomatic and humanitarian efforts.
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