New Delhi/Sanaa: The execution of Indian-origin nurse Nimisha Priya, who was scheduled to be hanged in Yemen on July 16, has been postponed, according to media reports—bringing a temporary sigh of relief to her family and supporters.
Nimisha Priya, a nurse from Kerala, was convicted of murdering Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mahdi in 2017 and sentenced to death by a Yemeni court. Her execution has been a matter of national and international concern, with diplomatic and legal efforts ongoing for years.
The Government of India, which has been trying to intervene behind the scenes, informed the Supreme Court that it has exhausted all its diplomatic options. “We tried whatever was possible… there is a limit to what the Government can do,” Attorney General R Venkataramani told the court, adding that they had chosen not to go public with their efforts to avoid complications.
The Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, which has been leading the legal battle to save her life, told the court that the only remaining option is to seek forgiveness from the victim’s family through financial compensation (blood money)—a provision allowed under Yemeni law. Reportedly, Rs. 8.5 crore has already been offered.
The Supreme Court also asked whether the Indian government could contribute to the compensation, but the Attorney General clarified that any such payment would have to be a personal initiative, not a government action.
Nimisha Priya had moved to Yemen in 2008 to work as a nurse and eventually opened her own clinic. Due to local regulations, she partnered with Yemeni citizen Talal Abdo Mahdi. However, relations soured, and after a series of alleged threats, she reportedly injected Mahdi with sedatives to recover her confiscated passport. An overdose allegedly led to his death.
She was arrested in 2017 while attempting to leave Yemen and was convicted of murder in 2018. Since then, she has been imprisoned in Sanaa, the capital currently controlled by Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
Her family and several rights groups have campaigned tirelessly for her release, appealing even to Yemen’s Supreme Court and Indian authorities.
In a renewed appeal, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging urgent intervention. “The Government of Kerala stands firmly with all those working towards her exoneration and safe return,” Vijayan wrote on X.
While the postponement offers a brief window, the clock continues to tick, and Nimisha’s fate now hinges largely on the acceptance of the compensation offer by the victim’s family.
