Indian nurse Nimisha Priya is due to be executed in Yemen on 16 July. The date was confirmed by social worker Samuel Jerome Baskaran, who is in Yemen working to save her life. “The public prosecutor had issued the letter of prosecution to the jail authorities. The execution is scheduled for July 16. Options are still open. The Government of India can intervene in the matter to save her life,” Baskaran told reporters, as reported by the Indian Express.
Despite efforts, talks to secure a pardon from Talal Abdo Mahdi’s family through ‘blood money’ compensation remain unresolved. “We had made an offer to the family during the last meeting. So far, they have not responded. I am leaving for Yemen today to resume the negotiations,” Baskaran added.
A mother’s fight in Yemen
Nimisha’s mother, Prema Kumari, a domestic worker from Kochi, has been in Sanaa for nearly a year. Last December, she approached the Delhi High Court to lift a travel ban to Yemen. Since arriving, she has met her daughter only a few times in prison. Her plea is direct: “I am deeply grateful to the Indian and Kerala governments, as well as the committee formed to save her, for all the support provided so far. But this is my final plea -- please help us save her life. Time is running out,” she said.
The murder and the trial
Nimisha, originally from Kerala’s Palakkad district, moved to Yemen in 2008 to support her family. In 2014, she partnered with Mahdi to open a clinic, as Yemeni law requires locals for business ownership. The relationship turned hostile. In 2016, Nimisha filed a complaint against Mahdi, leading to his brief arrest. But according to her family, he continued to threaten and abuse her.
In 2017, Nimisha tried to retrieve her passport by sedating Mahdi. The dosage proved fatal. Yemeni media reported that she and a colleague, Hanan, then dismembered Mahdi’s body and disposed of it in a water tank. Nimisha was arrested while attempting to flee. A trial court convicted her of murder in 2018. The death sentence was upheld by Yemen’s Supreme Judicial Council in 2024 and later approved by President Rashad al-Alimi.
Case under Houthi control
The Yemeni embassy had clarified that the case falls under the jurisdiction of the Houthi militia, which controls Sanaa, where Nimisha is imprisoned. Yemeni law imposes the death penalty for several offences including murder, drug trafficking, adultery and leaving Islam.
Blood money stalled by legal fees
Under Yemeni law, a convict’s life can be spared if the victim’s family accepts financial compensation known as blood money. Nimisha’s mother sold her house to fight the case, said lawyer Subhash Chandran, part of a group of activists, politicians and expatriates backing the appeal.
Negotiations stopped abruptly in September 2024. Abdullah Ameer, the lawyer hired by the Indian Embassy, demanded a $20,000 pre-negotiation fee. The Ministry of External Affairs had already provided $19,871 in July last year, but Ameer insisted on a total fee of $40,000 in two instalments before resuming talks. Supporters managed to raise the first instalment through crowdfunding, but later faced questions from donors about transparency in fund use.
Since Yemen’s president approved the death sentence last year, India’s Ministry of External Affairs has said it is closely following the case and helping the family. But with the execution date drawing near, Nimisha’s fate now depends on a last-minute response from Mahdi’s family and continued diplomatic effort.
As it stands, a mother waits in Yemen. A social worker rushes to restart talks. And an entire campaign hopes for a pardon before it is too late.
Despite efforts, talks to secure a pardon from Talal Abdo Mahdi’s family through ‘blood money’ compensation remain unresolved. “We had made an offer to the family during the last meeting. So far, they have not responded. I am leaving for Yemen today to resume the negotiations,” Baskaran added.
A mother’s fight in Yemen
Nimisha’s mother, Prema Kumari, a domestic worker from Kochi, has been in Sanaa for nearly a year. Last December, she approached the Delhi High Court to lift a travel ban to Yemen. Since arriving, she has met her daughter only a few times in prison. Her plea is direct: “I am deeply grateful to the Indian and Kerala governments, as well as the committee formed to save her, for all the support provided so far. But this is my final plea -- please help us save her life. Time is running out,” she said.
The murder and the trial
Nimisha, originally from Kerala’s Palakkad district, moved to Yemen in 2008 to support her family. In 2014, she partnered with Mahdi to open a clinic, as Yemeni law requires locals for business ownership. The relationship turned hostile. In 2016, Nimisha filed a complaint against Mahdi, leading to his brief arrest. But according to her family, he continued to threaten and abuse her.
In 2017, Nimisha tried to retrieve her passport by sedating Mahdi. The dosage proved fatal. Yemeni media reported that she and a colleague, Hanan, then dismembered Mahdi’s body and disposed of it in a water tank. Nimisha was arrested while attempting to flee. A trial court convicted her of murder in 2018. The death sentence was upheld by Yemen’s Supreme Judicial Council in 2024 and later approved by President Rashad al-Alimi.
Case under Houthi control
The Yemeni embassy had clarified that the case falls under the jurisdiction of the Houthi militia, which controls Sanaa, where Nimisha is imprisoned. Yemeni law imposes the death penalty for several offences including murder, drug trafficking, adultery and leaving Islam.
Blood money stalled by legal fees
Under Yemeni law, a convict’s life can be spared if the victim’s family accepts financial compensation known as blood money. Nimisha’s mother sold her house to fight the case, said lawyer Subhash Chandran, part of a group of activists, politicians and expatriates backing the appeal.
Negotiations stopped abruptly in September 2024. Abdullah Ameer, the lawyer hired by the Indian Embassy, demanded a $20,000 pre-negotiation fee. The Ministry of External Affairs had already provided $19,871 in July last year, but Ameer insisted on a total fee of $40,000 in two instalments before resuming talks. Supporters managed to raise the first instalment through crowdfunding, but later faced questions from donors about transparency in fund use.
Since Yemen’s president approved the death sentence last year, India’s Ministry of External Affairs has said it is closely following the case and helping the family. But with the execution date drawing near, Nimisha’s fate now depends on a last-minute response from Mahdi’s family and continued diplomatic effort.
As it stands, a mother waits in Yemen. A social worker rushes to restart talks. And an entire campaign hopes for a pardon before it is too late.
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