**Title:** Execution of Indian Nurse in Yemen Postponed Amid Diplomatic Efforts
**Meta Description:** The execution of Nimisha Priya, an Indian nurse in Yemen, has been delayed following intervention from religious leaders and diplomatic negotiations.
**URL Slug:** execution-indian-nurse-yemen-postponed
**Headline:** Nimisha Priya’s Execution in Yemen Delayed After Diplomatic Intervention
The execution of Nimisha Priya, an Indian nurse from Kerala who has been on death row in Yemen, has been postponed just one day before it was set to take place on July 16. This reprieve was secured following the intervention of prominent Sunni cleric Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar, who reached out to religious authorities in Yemen. His efforts, combined with diplomatic outreach and support from Sufi scholar Sheikh Habib Umar bin Hafiz—who is currently leading negotiations with the victim’s family—have provided renewed hope for Nimisha, her family, and advocates working to save her.
Nimisha’s case has garnered international attention over the years. She was convicted in March 2018 for the murder of her local sponsor and subsequently sentenced to death by a Yemeni court in 2020. Efforts to secure her release intensified in recent months after Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi approved her execution in December 2024, a decision that was later endorsed by Houthi leader Mahdi al-Mashat in January 2025.
Originally from Palakkad district in Kerala, Nimisha moved to Yemen in 2008 to work as a nurse, and her husband and daughter joined her in 2011. However, as the civil war in Yemen escalated and financial difficulties mounted, her family returned to India in 2014 while she remained to continue her work. In 2015, she partnered with her victim, Talal Abdo Mahdi, to establish a clinic in Sana’a, a requirement under Yemeni law for foreigners to have a local sponsor for business operations.
Nimisha alleges that this partnership became abusive, claiming that Mahdi took control of the clinic’s finances, forged documents to claim a share of the business, and subjected her to physical and sexual assault while confiscating her passport, effectively trapping her in Yemen. In July 2017, she attempted to retrieve her passport by administering sedatives to Mahdi, which resulted in his death. Following this incident, she was arrested while attempting to flee the country.
In April 2022, Nimisha’s mother, Prema Kumari, along with her daughter and members of the ‘Save Nimisha International Action Council,’ sought permission from the Indian foreign ministry to travel to Yemen despite a travel ban, aiming to meet Mahdi’s family and seek forgiveness after their petition for pardon was denied by the Yemeni appeals court. Nimisha expressed her remorse in a letter, describing the death as an “unintentional mistake” and pleading for mercy.
In November 2023, Yemen’s Supreme Judicial Council upheld her death sentence but left open the possibility of diyah, or blood money, under Sharia law. Around the same time, the Delhi High Court urged the Indian government to respond to Prema Kumari’s request to visit Yemen for negotiations. She successfully reached Sana’a in April 2024 and met her daughter in prison on April 24 after an 11-year separation.
As diplomatic efforts continue, the future of Nimisha Priya remains uncertain, but the recent developments have sparked hope for her family and supporters.
**FAQ Section:**
**Q: What led to the postponement of Nimisha Priya’s execution?**
A: The execution was postponed due to intervention from religious leaders and ongoing diplomatic negotiations aimed at seeking a pardon for her.
