Why Has Indian Nurse Nimisha Priya Been Sentenced To Death In Yemen?
According to reports, Indian nurse Nimisha Priya she is set to be executed in Yemen on July 16.
Nimisha Priya, a 37‑year‑old Indian nurse from Kollengode, Palakkad (Kerala), has been convicted of murdering her Yemeni business partner Talal Abdo Mahdi in July 2017. According to reports, she is set to be executed in Yemen on July 16. Human rights activist Samuel Jerome Baskaran, who has been actively involved in outreach to Yemeni authorities and the victim's family, said, 'The public prosecutor has issued the execution order to prison authorities. The execution is set for July 16,"adding that the Government of India can still step in to help save her life.
What Is The Nimisha Priya Case?
Nimisha Priya is a 37-year-old Indian nurse from Kerala who moved to Yemen in 2008 for better career opportunities. Like many Indian nurses working abroad, she was motivated by financial responsibilities back home and took up work in a private hospital in Sana'a.
In 2015, Nimisha entered into a business partnership with Mahdi, who agreed to help her run a clinic since Yemeni laws restrict foreign nationals from owning such facilities outright. According to Nimisha and her supporters, Mahdi began to exploit her: confiscating her passport, misappropriating funds, allegedly abusing her physically, and threatening her freedom of movement.
In July 2017, Nimisha attempted to sedate Mahdi by injecting him with sedatives to recover her passport. But the dosage proved fatal. Panicked, she and a colleague dismembered Mahdi's body and tried to conceal the crime by disposing of the remains in a water tank.
The Arrest, Conviction And Death Sentence
Nimisha was arrested at the Yemeni border in August 2017. In 2018, she was tried by a Yemeni criminal court and sentenced to death. The court found that she had premeditated the act of injecting Mahdi with sedatives, illegally administered drugs, causing his unlawful death, dismembered his body and attempted to conceal the crime by hiding the remains in a water tank.
According to the court, these actions demonstrated intent, and the subsequent steps she took to cover up the murder further compounded the severity of the offence.
Her appeal was rejected by higher courts, and in November 2023, the Supreme Judicial Council confirmed her death sentence. Yemeni authorities, now controlled by the Houthi rebels, approved her execution, scheduling it for July 16, 2025.
Legal Dead-End and Diplomatic Hurdles
India does not maintain formal diplomatic ties with the Houthi-led administration in Sana'a, making direct government-to-government negotiations difficult. The Ministry of External Affairs has stated that it is 'engaged in efforts" to prevent her execution and continues to provide consular assistance through unofficial channels.
Yemen's legal system permits the concept of 'blood money" (diyat) — a form of financial compensation that can lead to a pardon if the victim's family agrees. Nimisha's mother and a group of volunteers have tried to reach out to Mahdi's family with an offer reportedly worth $1 million. However, no response has come so far.
Public Appeals and Ongoing Campaigns
Multiple NGOs, legal rights groups, and Indian citizens have rallied in Nimisha's support. Campaigns have been launched seeking presidential intervention and urging the Indian government to intensify its efforts. Social worker Samuel Jerome Baskaran has also traveled to Yemen and confirmed that the execution date has been officially set.
Her mother, Prema, has written letters pleading for help, and groups have demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi intervene to save her life, much like the government did in the past in the case of Indian citizen Kulbhushan Jadhav in Pakistan.
With just days to go, all eyes are on whether a last-minute reprieve — either through diya payment or a pardon — can prevent Nimisha Priya's execution.
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