Is there still hope for Nimisha Priya? Yemen to execute Kerala nurse on July 16
Nimisha Priya, a nurse from Kerala, who was sentenced to death in Yemen, will be executed on Jult 16. The public prosecutor in Yemen has signed the order regarding her death sentence, which has been shared with the Indian embassy and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
A source from the MEA told THE WEEK that the ministry has been closely following matter since Nimisha's death sentence in June 2018. "We have been in regular touch with local authorities and her family members and rendered all possible assistance," the source added.
She was convicted of murdering a Yemeni citizen, identified as Talal Abdo Mehdi. Human rights activist Samuel Jerome Bhaskaran said the only way to save Nimisha Priya's life was to get a pardon from Talal's family as all other legal options have been exhausted. Talal's family has demanded ₹8.57 crore as blood money. But the negotiation has been delayed as Talal's family is yet to reach out regarding the blood money that they want.
Samuel, who holds the power of attorney of Nimisha's mother Prema Kumari, said he will try to meet the victim's family for a negotiation on Wednesday, according to Manorama Online.
Nimisha Priya, who came to Yemen in 2011, partenered with Talal to set up a clinic in Sana'a in 2015 under his sponsorship. The previous year, her husband and child came back to India. Following this, Talal allegedly forged marriage documents showing they are husband and wife. He then took her passport, extorted money from her and abused her physically and mentally.
A desperate Nimisha then drugged Talal to retrieve her passport but the man accidentally died. Though the nurse tried to escape, she was nabbed by Yemeni authorities from the Saudi Arabia border. Nimisha was charged with Talal's murder and arrested in 2017. She was sentenced to death by a trial court in 2020 while her appeals were quashed by higher courts. The country's Supreme Judicial Council upheld the death penalty in 2023. Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi approved the verdict in 2024.
India