Watch: Who is Nimisha Priya and how did she end up on death row in Yemen?
Her family and activists are racing against time to save her, with just one hope left: a pardon from the victim's family. But with no diplomatic ties between India and the Houthi regime, and delays in negotiations, the clock is ticking.
Could she be executed soon? Nimisha Priya's story is tragic, complex, and deeply painful, a tale of poverty, desperation, abuse, and a fatal mistake that may now cost her life.
Script: Shikha Kumari A
Presentation: Athira Madhav
Videography: Thamodharan B
Production: Shibu Narayan
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India Today
29 minutes ago
- India Today
On death row in Yemen, Kerala nurse's fate hinges on Qisas: What is God's law?
Kerala-born nurse Nimisha Priya's life remains on edge with her execution in Yemen, originally slated for July 16, now postponed. However, the victim's family remains unwilling to budge from its stand, insisting on the strict enforcement of Qisas, or retributive justice under Islamic law, presenting a daunting obstacle for her legal and diplomatic 36-year-old nurse from Kerala, moved to Yemen in 2008 in search of better job opportunities. Her professional relationship with her Yemeni business partner, Talal Abdo Mahdi, soured in the years that to Yemeni authorities, she attempted to recover her passport from Mahdi by injecting him with sedatives, leading to a fatal overdose. She and another nurse then allegedly dismembered his body and disposed of it in a water tank. Nimisha Priya was sentenced to death in 2020 for the murder of her Yemeni business partner, Talal Abdo Mahdi, in 2017. While her family has been exploring the possibility of securing a pardon through diyah or blood money the victim's family has categorically rejected all such a strongly worded Facebook post, Talal's brother, Abdelfattah Mahdi, said the family had turned down every effort at reconciliation, including those involving monetary compensation.'What is happening today, and all the talk of mediation and reconciliation attempts, is neither new nor surprising,' he wrote. 'Over the years, there have been covert efforts and serious attempts at mediation—and that is natural. But the pressure has not changed us. Our demand is clear: Qisas, and nothing else, no matter what.'Reacting to the postponement of the execution, he added: 'Unfortunately, we did not expect this, especially since those who delayed it know full well that we reject all reconciliation. What comes after an execution date is always harder. We will follow through with it—no postponement will stop us. No pressure will shake us. Blood cannot be bought. Justice cannot be forgotten. Qisas will be done, no matter how long it takes. With God's help.'WHAT IS GOD'S LAW IN QISASIn Yemen's Islamic legal framework, the principle of Qisas grants a victim's family the right to pursue retributive justice, most commonly the death penalty in murder cases. Derived from the Quranic notion of "an eye for an eye," Qisas upholds a form of justice that reflects the severity of the original offense.O you who believe, equivalence is the law decreed for you when dealing with murder - the free for the free, the slave for the slave, the female for the female. If one is pardoned by the victim's kin, an appreciative response is in order, and an equitable compensation shall be paid. This is an alleviation from your Lord and mercy. Anyone who transgresses beyond this incurs a painful retributionQuran This principle is recognised and enforced in multiple countries governed wholly or partly by Sharia-based criminal law, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, Sudan, Yemen, Afghanistan (under Taliban rule), and parts of Nigeria where Sharia law is practised. In these jurisdictions, Qisas is codified in law and typically applied in cases involving murder or serious bodily harm. Its enforcement, however, is subject to judicial interpretation and often influenced by state Yemen's Sharia law also allows for clemency. The victim's family may choose to forgive the accused in exchange for diyah—a monetary compensation known as blood money. If accepted, this payment can lead to a pardon and nullify the death sentence, emphasising reconciliation over Nimisha Priya's case, however, this route appears closed. The victim's family remains firm: they seek retribution, not reconciliation.- Ends
Hindustan Times
33 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Nimisha Priya's 17 yrs so far in Yemen, and Islamic law can save her life now: Timeline of Kerala nurse on death row
When Nimisha Priya from Kerala's Palakkad district went to Yemen for work, hers was a story identical to those of numerous other young women in her state. Within less than a decade, she'd got married, had a child, and opened her own clinic, even as the Arab Spring and a civil war led to major geopolitical changes in the region. Nimisha Priya, on death row in Yemen, is a nurse who opened her own clinic in Sana'a within a decade of landing in the Gulf country.(HT File) By 2018, she was in jail for murder. Now, she is at the heart of a diplomatic tangle as India tries to save her from execution that was scheduled originally for July 16. Retracing life from when she went to Yemen 2008: Priya moves to the Gulf country Nimisha Priya, barely 20 years old, moved to Yemen to work as a nurse. The country, and in fact the wider Gulf region, is a top destination for professionals from the southern Indian state of Kerala. 2011: Starts a family, Yemen in conflict She married a fellow Malayali, and they have a daughter together. Her husband and the daughter later moved back to India, reportedly due to financial constraints. Political upheaval in the region — the Arab Spring, uprisings against entrenched leaders across West Asia/Middle East — is learnt to have played a part in the family not being able to reunite at the time. This was also the time when Ali Abdullah Saleh's 33-year rule over Yemen ended as he handed over power to deputy Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi. This would later prove to be a factor in Priya's life. 2015: Civil war changes status of Sana'a By the end of 2014, the Houthi rebel group had taken over Sana'a; and by 2015 they took over the government headquarters too. The Houthi group since controls large parts of northern and western Yemen. India does not have formal diplomatic relations with this group. In line with the US, India recognises the Aden-headquartered Presidential Leadership Council as Yemen's government. This was also the year when Priya opened a clinic in Sana'a — which was now under the Houthis — in partnership with local businessman Talal Abdo Mehdi as required by local rules. 2016: Abused by business partner Nimisha Priya reported harassment and document seizure by Mehdi, but reportedly did not receive police help. Her passport was withheld by Abdi and he allegedly abused her. 2017: Sedation gone wrong Priya attempted to recover her passport by sedating Mehdi, but he overdoses and dies. She was later arrested allegedly while trying to flee the country. 2018: Sentenced to death She was convicted of murder by a local trial court and given the death sentence. She did not get adequate legal assistance, say reports. 2020: Group formed to save her Her death sentence was upheld by a higher court. At the same time, some citizens and the Malayali Indian diaspora formed a 'Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council' to try and save her. 2023: End of road in courts Nimisha Priya's final appeal against the death sentence was dismissed by Houthi Yemen's Supreme Judicial Council. 2024: Family tries blood money route Priya's family negotiated with the victim's family over blood money, a concept in Sharia, the Islamic law, that allows the victim's family to pardon the killer in return for monetary compensation; over $40,000 were raised as potential 'diyah' (blood money). 2025 (as of July 16): Some hope emerges Her execution was initially scheduled for July 16, but was officially postponed after diplomatic and religious interventions. The Indian government tried unofficial and unorthodox routes — such as negotiating through a local sheikh — while a Kerala-based Muslim cleric, 'Grand Mufti of India' Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar, emerged as a key figure too. The family are now continuing the negotiations to pay blood money and get Nimisha Priya out of Yemen.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
School Assembly Headlines for July 17: Top national, international, sports and business updates
India is set for a major milestone as Assam becomes the first state to produce and profit from crude oil, while the Supreme Court raised concerns over the SIT's probe into the Ashoka University professor case. Meanwhile, security worries grow after the Golden Temple received multiple threat emails. In global news, Iran warned of retaliation against any new attacks, and UK inflation saw a surprise rise to 3.6%. In sports, England was penalised for a slow over rate against India, while flag football is set to debut in the LA 2028 Olympics. On the business front, the Cabinet approved a massive ₹50,000 crore push for agriculture and renewable energy, and Maruti Suzuki announced that its Ertiga and Baleno models will now come with six airbags as standard, leading to a price hike. School Assembly Headlines for July 17: National news Assam to become 1st state in India to produce and profit from crude Assam is set to become the first state government in India to take a direct role in oil production, marking a significant turning point in the country's energy sector. Yemen family seeks 'God's law' in Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya's case Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Technology Cybersecurity Leadership Management MCA others Finance Project Management CXO MBA healthcare PGDM Public Policy Others Data Science Data Analytics Digital Marketing Artificial Intelligence Degree Operations Management Design Thinking Product Management Data Science Healthcare Skills you'll gain: Duration: 12 Weeks MIT xPRO CERT-MIT XPRO Building AI Prod India Starts on undefined Get Details The family of Talal Abdo Mahdi, the Yemeni man allegedly killed by Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya, has made a strong demand for justice, calling for the enforcement of 'God's Law in Qisas' (retaliation in kind). by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Undo CDS Chauhan on Operation Sindoor: India cannot win modern wars with outdated weapons India's chief of defence staff general Anil Chauhan, citing Operation Sindoor, stressed the urgency of replacing outdated weapons with indigenous, future-ready technology to tackle modern warfare. 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