Nimisha Priya, an Indian nurse from Kerala, has been sentenced to death in Yemen for killing a Yemeni citizen and is to be executed on July 16, 2025. Her death sentence was sanctioned last year by Yemen’s President, and her family is now running against time to save her life.
Why Was Nimisha Priya Arrested?
Nimisha Priya relocated to Yemen in 2008 to economically support her Indian family. Following work at a number of hospitals, she started her clinic in 2014 with the assistance of Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mahdi, since local legislation mandates foreign enterprise owners to have a Yemeni counterpart.
Their relationship turned sour soon. Nimisha’s complaint against Mahdi, which resulted in his 2016 arrest. But he was released later on and reportedly continued to harass and threaten her.
As reported by her family, Nimisha administered sedatives to Mahdi in a bid to reclaim her seized passport. Sadly, the dosage of sedative killed him. She was arrested during her attempt to escape from the country and was found guilty of murder in 2018. In November 2023, the Yemeni Supreme Judicial Council confirmed the death penalty.
What is Blood Money and Can It Save Her?
Yemeni law permits the family of the victim to accept “Blood Money” instead of a pardon. The payment is, however, decided by the family of the victim and is usually complicated. Nimisha’s mother, who is a domestic worker in Kochi, had to sell her house to fund legal actions.
Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council member Advocate Subhash Chandran complained that negotiations were interrupted in September 2024 when the Yemeni lawyer the Indian Embassy had appointed, Abdullah Ameer, asked for a pre-negotiation fee of $20,000 (Rs 16.6 lakh).
While the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) donated $19,871, Ameer demanded that $40,000 be paid in full before resuming talks. The first instalment was raised by the action council through crowdfunding, but subsequently suffered issues of transparency concerning the amount.
Family Makes Final Plea as Execution Nears
The Indian authorities have said that they are keeping the case under close observation and offering all help. However, with the date of the hanging drawing near, Nimisha’s mother issued a last-ditch plea.
“I am ever so thankful to the Indian and Kerala governments, and to the committee that was constituted to rescue her, for all the efforts made so far. But this is my last appeal — please assist us in saving her life. Time is short,” she stated.
With mere days to go, Nimisha Priya’s case is a humanitarian emergency that calls for immediate action at the very highest diplomatic level.
