Indian nurse Nimisha Priya’s execution in Yemen postponed: All you need to know about the case

A day earlier, the Centre informed the Supreme Court that it has done all it could to save the Kerala nurse. The court was hearing a plea by the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council seeking the court’s intervention to direct the Centre to assist in the negotiations through diplomatic channels.

How did Nimisha Priya land up with a death sentence? Here’s all you need to know about the case:

1. 01

   Who is Nimisha Priya?

   Nimisha Priya is an Indian nurse employed in Yemen, who has been convicted of the murder of Yemeni citizen Talal Abdo Mehdi.

   A native of Kerala's Palakkad district, Nimisha had worked as a nurse in Yemen for several years until she was accused of murder in 2017.

2. 02

   What led to the murder of Yemeni citizen?

   With Talal's support, Nimisha opened her dream clinic in the foreign country in April 2015, where she allegedly faced mental, physical and financial abuse. Talal's role quickly shifted from partner to predator, when he allegedly falsified documents to claim a 33 per cent stake in the clinic, seized her passport, and even forged a marriage certificate to suggest they were legally wed.

   Nimisha also accused Mahdi of physically and sexually assaulting her on multiple occasions.

   In July 2017, Nimisha, during a jail visit, injected Mahdi with sedatives in order to retrieve her passport. However, he died of an overdose. She sought the help of a fellow Yemeni nurse, who allegedly suggested that they chop up the body and dispose of the parts in a water tank. Though the two went into hiding, the police were able to catch them.

3. 03

   What has the Yemen court decided in the matter?

   Priya was arrested and tried in Yemen in the murder case. In 2020, a local court sentenced her to death, not once, but thrice. An appeals court later struck down one of the sentences, however, the country’s Supreme Court upheld the remaining two.

   Yemen's President Rashad al-Alimi, moreover, approved the death sentence for her last year.

   She is currently lodged in Sanaa Central Jail. In January this year, Mahdi al-Mashat, president of the Houthi-controlled Supreme Political Council, approved the execution.

   The order had remained with the prosecutor since then. On Tuesday, despite the "sensitivities" involved, the local authorities postponed her execution after Indian officials remained in regular touch with them and the prosecutor’s office in Yemen.

4. 04

   How did Nimisha's family respond?

   Nimisha’s mother, Prema Kumari, a domestic worker in Kochi, approached the Delhi High Court in December last year to secure an exemption from the travel ban to conflict-ridden Yemen. She travelled to Yemen in April 2024 in a final attempt to plead with Mahdi’s family.

   Since her arrival in Sanaa, the capital city of Yemen, Kumari has been camping for the past year. She has had a few meetings with Nimisha in prison.“I met my daughter in jail last month. She is suffering in silence," Kumari told The Indian Express.

5. 05

   How has the Indian government reacted to Priya's execution?

   Last year, when Yemen’s president approved the death sentence, the Ministry of External Affairs in Delhi said it would extend all possible help to her and her family.

   The Supreme Court of India last week agreed to hear the Nimisha’s case on July 14 and asked the Centre to apprise it about any steps that it may have taken regarding the case.

   The Indian government has so far made concerted efforts in recent days to seek more time for the family to reach a mutually agreeable solution with the other party, which eventually led to the postponement.

    

6. 06

   What did the Centre inform the SC?

   During the hearing, the Centre on Monday informed the Supreme Court that it has done all it could to save the Kerala nurse.

   Attorney-General R Venkataramani, appearing for the Centre, told the apex court, “There’s nothing much the government can do… looking at the sensitivity of Yemen… It’s not diplomatically recognised… There’s a point till which the government of India can go. We have reached that... we are trying at a private level."

   He said the government had even reached out to an influential sheikh in Yemen and requested the public prosecutor to suspend the execution. The court has adjourned the matter till July 18 with the direction that it be apprised of the status.

7. 07

   How has the Kerala government reacted?

   Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Monday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the case.

   In a letter addressed to PM Modi, Vijayan wrote: "The Government of Kerala stands firmly with all those working towards her exoneration and safe return.” The letter stated that the case deserved sympathy and that necessary intervention should be made before July 16.

8. 08

   What are the steps taken by community leaders in connection with the case?

   Discussions have been underway at various levels in Yemen to save the life of Nimisha Priya, sources familiar with the developments have told The Indian Express.

   “Discussions to save her life are at a crucial stage. We are hopeful about a positive outcome. Community leaders, two Yemeni citizens associated with the Indian mission, and a negotiator, Samuel Jerome Bhaskaran, are involved in the discussions,” said a source.

   Bhaskaran, the negotiator who had been leading the discussions with the Yemeni authorities, on the postponement of the execution, said, “I thank the Yemen government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the External Affairs Ministry.”

   Prominent Muslim leader and general secretary of the All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama, Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar, has also made interventions to try and secure Nimisha’s release.

   Musaliyar has urged a prominent Sufi scholar in Yemen to hold discussions with Talal’s family and local leadership to see that the family pardons the woman.

9. 09

   What is the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council?

   A support group formed in 2020 — the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council — has spearheaded efforts to save the nurse's life.

   Aided by donations and crowdfunding, the council raised the $1 million and nominated Samuel Jerome Bhaskaran, a social worker based in Yemen, to negotiate with the victim’s family.

10. 10

    How can Nimisha Priya be saved from execution in Yemen?

    While the execution has been postponed, under Yemen’s Sharia-based judicial system, the only path left for her is securing a pardon from the victim’s family in exchange for diyya, or blood money.

    Nimisha’s family and supporters have offered $1 million to Mahdi’s relatives. Read more about the Islamic law in Yemen here.