Nimisha Priya, a 38-year-old nurse from Palakkad district in Kerala has been facing the death penalty in Yemen. Nimisha will be executed on July 16 as she is convicted of the murder of a Yemeni citizen in 2017. Nimisha’s case has become a human rights movement rallying point, with the Indian government, activists, and civil society groups launching 11-hour appeals to have her spared.
Who is Nimisha Priya? All you need to know
Hailing from Kollengode in Kerala Nimisha Priya came to Yemen in 2008 to take care of her ageing parents and provide them support in daily living. Before opening her own clinic, Nimisha had worked in several hospitals.
Foreign nationals must have a local partner in order to start a business as per the Yemeni law. Nimisha got into a partnership with Talal Abdo Mahdi, Yemeni citizen in 2014. The partnership got worse later and had resulted in a series of unfortunate events that would drastically alter the direction of her life.
What Happened after?
Everything got changed after 2 years, Nimisha registered a complaint against Mahdi after an issue in 2016 that led to his brief arrest. Nimisha’s family claimed that Mahdi continued to harass and threaten her after his release from jail, In 2017, Mahdi reportedly confiscated Nimisha’s passport for trapping her in Yemen.
In a bid to get her passport back, Nimisha allegedly gave Mahdi sedatives to render him unconscious, but the dose was lethal. He succumbed shortly afterward. Yemeni officials arrested Nimisha as she attempted to flee the country. Her actions, which her family maintains were not meant to kill, resulted in a murder conviction in 2018.
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Why is Nimisha Priya Being Executed?
Serious set of events unfolded later in 2020, Nimisha Priya was sentenced to death. The verdict was said by a Yemeni trial court. In November 2023, Yemen’s Supreme Judicial Council had confirmed Nimisha’s sentence which was later approved by Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi.
According to Yemeni law, a murder by hanging can be prevented if the victim’s family agrees to accept diyah, or blood money which is a legal settlement. Indian officials and Nimisha’s family have explored this option, but several obstacles have thwarted the attempts.
Despite first attempts to negotiate and raise money, the settlement is yet to come. The negotiations apparently collapsed in September 2024 when the lawyer deployed by the Indian Embassy insisted on a fee to start with, which initiated delays and mistrust.
Nimisha’s mother, Prema Kumari, who is a domestic worker in Kochi, sold their residence and even went as far as Yemen to request personally the victim’s family. However, even though she made an emotional appeal and citizen-led campaigns, the family has not consented to accept the blood money.
Indian Government’s Role in Nimisha Priya’s case
India’s Ministry of External Affairs has said that the case was closely followed ever since Nimisha was given the death sentence. Although support has been extended to the family, the fact that formal diplomatic relations with the Houthi-led regime in Yemen do not exist has rendered direct intervention very challenging.
A high-ranking Indian official recently stated, “We have been in regular touch with Yemeni authorities and her family members and rendered all possible assistance.”
What Happens Now in Nimisha Priya case?
With the execution scheduled for July 16, Nimisha remains in a Sana’a prison, awaiting either a last-minute agreement with the victim’s family or the grim enforcement of the death sentence. The Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council and other rights groups continue to appeal for urgent diplomatic action, but the clock is ticking.
Her case has attracted national attention, prompting debates over the legal rights of Indian nationals outside the country and the moral boundaries of global justice systems.
So far, Nimisha’s only resort to survival is the generosity of the victim’s family to accept blood money, the sole legal option to death by hanging in Yemeni law.
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