'Sensitive Matter, Govt Providing All Help': MEA On Kerala Nurse Nimisha Priya Case
Nimisha Priya, a nurse from Kerala, has been on death row in Yemen for the alleged murder of her former business partner Talal Abdo Mehdi in 2017.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that the execution of Nimisha Priya, an Indian nurse facing the death penalty in Yemen, has been postponed after sustained diplomatic interventions in recent days aimed at securing a mutually agreeable resolution between Nimisha Priya's family and that of the victim.
'This is a sensitive matter and the Government of India has been offering all possible assistance in the case," the MEA said in a briefing, adding, 'We have provided legal assistance and appointed a lawyer to assist the family. We have also arranged regular consular visits and been in constant touch with the local authorities and the family members to resolve the issue."
The ministry added that 'concerted efforts in recent days" were made to 'seek more time for the family of Ms. Nimisha Priya to reach a mutually agreeable solution with the other party." As a result, Yemeni authorities postponed carrying out the sentence, which was scheduled for July 16, 2025.
'We continue to closely follow the matter and render all possible assistance. We are also in touch with some friendly governments," the MEA added.
Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya has been on death row in Yemen for the alleged murder of her former business partner Talal Abdo Mehdi in 2017. Her execution had been scheduled for July 16 but extensive diplomatic interventions contributed to the temporary reprieve although serious challenges remain. Under Sharia law, the family of the victim holds the right to grant a pardon in exchange for diyah, or blood money. Abdelfattah Mehdi, the brother of the deceased, rejected the possibility of clemency, saying, 'There can be no pardon for the crime."
Nimisha Priya moved to Yemen in 2008 to work as a nurse before starting her own clinic. In 2017, she was arrested for allegedly murdering her Yemeni business partner. Investigators claimed she attempted to sedate Talal Abdo Mehdi to retrieve her passport, which he had reportedly taken from her, but the sedatives proved fatal. She was convicted in 2018, sentenced to death in 2020 and the verdict was upheld by Yemen's Supreme Judicial Council in November 2023. While the court upheld the sentence, it permitted the option of clemency through the payment of blood money.
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July 17, 2025, 16:25 IST
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