Nimisha Priya, a nurse from Kerala’s Palakkad district, who has been imprisoned in Yemen since 2017 for the murder of a Yemeni national, is scheduled to be executed on July 16. The update was shared by Samuel Jerome, who holds the power of attorney for Priya’s mother and has been spearheading efforts to secure her release through diplomatic channels and legal negotiations.
Who Is Nimisha Priya?
Nimisha Priya moved to Yemen in 2011 to work as a nurse and later opened a medical clinic in Sana’a in 2015 with the help of a local sponsor, Talal Abdo Mahdi. Her husband and young daughter returned to India a year before that, in 2014, due to financial strain. However, her time in Yemen turned grim. According to Jerome and earlier court testimonies, Talal allegedly forged documents claiming to be married to her and subjected her to severe physical and psychological abuse. He reportedly confiscated her passport, demanded money, and threatened her repeatedly.
In 2017, in what has been described as a desperate bid to flee the country, Nimisha attempted to drug Talal in order to retrieve her passport. However, the act allegedly led to his death due to overdose. She was arrested, charged with murder, and sentenced to death by a Yemeni court in 2020. An accomplice was also implicated in the case.
Blood money offer on the table
Under Yemeni law, capital punishment can be averted through the payment of diya, or blood money, if the victim’s family agrees. Jerome revealed that a sum of one million dollars has been pledged toward this cause with the help of a sponsor. However, the family of Talal has not responded so far.
The lack of engagement from the victim’s relatives has complicated efforts to negotiate a reprieve for Nimisha. Without their consent, the execution is likely to proceed as scheduled. After her sentencing in 2020, all subsequent appeals were rejected by Yemen’s higher courts, including the Supreme Judicial Council, which upheld the death sentence in 2023. This has left Nimisha’s fate hanging on last-ditch diplomatic efforts and outreach to the victim’s family.