Indian Nurse Nimisha Priya, On Death Row In Yemen, To Be Executed On July 16

NDTV

7 hours ago

Nimisha Priya, the Indian nurse who is on death row after being convicted for the murder of a Yemeni national, will be executed next week on July 16. Last year, the President of Yemen approved the death sentence of Nimisha Priya, who is from Kerala.
Sources in the Ministry of External Affairs told NDTV that they have been closely following the matter since then and have been in regular touch with local authorities and her family members, and have rendered all possible assistance. The sources said the ministry is closely following the matter.
All About The Nimisha Priya Case
Nimisha Priya moved to Yemen in 2008 to support her parents. After working in several hospitals, she eventually opened her clinic and came in contact with Talal Abdo Mahdi in 2014 for the same, as rules in Yemen mandate partnering with a local to start a business.
The nurse from Kerala had a fallout with Mahdi and she filed a complaint against him after which he was arrested in 2016 but he was later released from jail and allegedly continued to threaten her.
Nimisha's family claimed that she had allegedly injected Mahdi with sedatives to retrieve her confiscated passport. However, an overdose led to his death. She was arrested while attempting to flee the country and was convicted of murder in 2018.
The trial court convicted her of killing the Yemeni national, a decision that was upheld by the country's Supreme Judicial Council in November 2023.
Yemeni law imposes a death penalty for a range of offences, including "violating the independence, unity or territorial integrity of the Republic," undertaking "an act, to weaken the armed forces," murder, drug trafficking, adultery, consensual same-sex sexual activity between adults, turning back from or denouncing Islam, and facilitating prostitution.
'Blood Money' To Save Nimisha Priya
Though an option of 'Blood Money', also known as compensation for the victim's family, was open, the amount is always decided by the family.
Priya's mother, who works as a house help in Kochi, sold her house to fight the case, said lawyer Subhash Chandran, who is part of the forum comprising politicians, businessmen, activists, and expatriates seeking justice for Nimisha.
Talks to negotiate the blood money with the victim's family had come to an abrupt halt in September 2024 after Abdullah Ameer, the lawyer appointed by the Indian Embassy, demanded a pre-negotiation fee of $20,000 (approximately Rs 16.6 lakh), according to a report by Manorama online.
MEA provided $19,871 to Ameer in July last year, but he insisted on a total fee of $40,000, payable in two instalments, before he would resume talks. The Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council succeeded in raising the first instalment of Ameer's fee through crowdfunding. However, later they reportedly faced challenges in ensuring transparency to donors about how the funds were being used.
The Centre in January had said that it is closely tracking the case and extending every possible help to the family; however, her mother warned that "time is running out and pleaded for help."
"I am deeply grateful to the Indian and Kerala governments, as well as the committee formed to save her, for all the support provided so far. But this is my final plea -- please help us save her life. Time is running out," she said.