Eleventh-hour talks, appeals, and diplomatic efforts intensify to save Kerala woman on death row
In a dramatic turn of events, the execution of Indian nurse Nimisha Priya in Yemen—originally scheduled for July 16—has been postponed, offering a sliver of hope for her family and supporters.
Nimisha, who was convicted of murdering her former Yemeni business partner in 2017, is currently on death row in a prison in Sanaa, reported gujaratsamachar.com.
Negotiations underway for clemency through blood money under Islamic law
The Indian government has been actively monitoring the case, extending support to Nimisha’s family while working with Yemeni authorities.
Officials are in ongoing talks with Sanaa prison, local judiciary, and members of the victim Talal Abdo Mehdi’s family to explore the possibility of a blood money settlement—a provision in Islamic law that could allow for clemency.
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According to sources from Nimisha’s hometown in Palakkad, Kerala, discussions have begun involving senior clerics, judicial figures from Yemen’s Shoora Council, and influential mediators
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Kerala Governor Rajendra V Arlekar has also urged India’s Ministry of External Affairs to intensify intervention.
Philanthropist and business tycoon M.A. Yusuf Ali has pledged financial aid if required, while Kerala’s Grand Mufti Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar has reached out to a contact in the Yemeni Shoora Council to assist in brokering a settlement.
Family, activists, and politicians unite in campaign to save Nimisha
The emotional campaign to save Nimisha has united political leaders across party lines in Kerala, who have petitioned the Union government and President of India for urgent action. Nimisha’s husband, Tomy Thomas, and their young daughter have also launched awareness drives to rally support.
On Monday, India’s Supreme Court heard the matter but observed that the government’s hands are tied under Yemeni law. Yet, the delay in execution has reinvigorated hopes of a negotiated resolution.
Nimisha’s story: A tale of struggle, abuse, and a desperate escape attempt
Nimisha Priya moved to Yemen in 2008 to work as a nurse and later opened her own clinic. In 2017, after facing alleged harassment and passport confiscation by her business partner Mehdi, she reportedly administered sedatives that led to his death. She was arrested while trying to flee the country and sentenced to death in 2020—a verdict upheld by Yemen’s top court in 2023, with the provision for blood money as the only path to clemency.
Her mother, Prema Kumari, has travelled to Yemen to negotiate directly with the victim’s family, supported by the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, a group of NRI activists and humanitarian workers pressing for justice and mercy.
