Hope Rises For Kerala Nurse Nimisha Priya, As Execution Postponed

Yemeni authorities have postponed the execution of Nimisha Priya, an Indian national convicted in a long-standing legal case, which was scheduled for July 16, 2025, according to official sources.

The decision came as last-minute negotiations took place in Dhamar on Tuesday morning between the family of the deceased Yemeni national, Talal Abdo Mahdi, and senior judicial officials. The talks were facilitated by Indian Sunni leader Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliar, who intervened through Yemeni cleric Sheikh Habib Umar bin Hafiz, a prominent Sufi scholar and member of Yemen’s Shura Council.

The Chief Justice of the Hudaydah State Court and a close relative of Mahdi were present during the discussions. The meeting focused on the possibility of accepting blood money, or diyah, which under Yemeni Sharia law is the only legal avenue left to halt the execution.

Priya was convicted in 2020 for the 2017 murder of Mahdi, who she claimed had subjected her to prolonged abuse. She allegedly injected him with sedatives in a failed attempt to retrieve her passport and flee the country. Her conviction and death sentence were upheld on appeal, and Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi ratified the sentence in late 2024. She is currently imprisoned in Sana’a Central Prison.

Negotiators representing Priya have offered approximately US $1 million to Mahdi’s family. While earlier attempts to reach a settlement were rejected, sources close to the talks say the family is now reconsidering, following the intervention of Sheikh Umar.

India’s Attorney-General R. Venkataramani told the Supreme Court that all diplomatic options have been exhausted, and that no further government intervention is possible unless Mahdi’s family accepts the diyah offer.

Political leaders in India, including Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress MP K.C. Venugopal, have called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene, but the matter remains fully under Yemeni jurisdiction.

The execution has been officially paused, but no final agreement has yet been announced. The outcome of the ongoing talks will determine whether Nimisha Priya’s life is spared.

The delay follows recent diplomatic efforts by the Indian government to secure more time for her family to negotiate a possible settlement with the victim’s side. Indian representatives have stayed in regular contact with jail authorities and the prosecutor’s office in Yemen, despite the sensitivities of the case, which contributed to the decision to defer the execution.