Nimisha Priya's Death Sentence Overturned After High-Level Talks In Yemen, Says Grand Mufti Of India's Office
The decision came after a high-level meeting in Sanaa, Yemen, where senior Yemeni scholars, appointed by Sheikh Umar Hafeel Thangal at the behest of the Indian Grand Mufti, held mediation talks with Northern Yemeni rulers and international diplomats.
The meeting concluded with the complete cancellation of Nimisha Priya's death sentence, which had previously been scheduled for execution on July 16 but was temporarily suspended.
According to a News18 report, the office of Indian Grand Mufti Kanthapuram AP Abubakar Musliyar confirmed that several key decisions regarding the case have already been taken. However, further deliberations are expected, particularly on unresolved matters, including a final settlement with the family of the murdered Yemeni national, Talal, which will be addressed through continued discussions.
Who Is Nimisha Priya And What Is The Case?
Nimisha Priya, a 37-year-old nurse from Kerala, moved to Yemen in 2008 in search of better employment opportunities, driven by financial responsibilities at home. She began working at a private hospital in the capital city, Sana'a.
In 2015, she entered into a business partnership with a Yemeni citizen named Mahdi to run a medical clinic. Since Yemeni law bars foreign nationals from independently owning such facilities, Mahdi's name was required for official purposes. However, Nimisha later alleged that the relationship became abusive. According to her and her supporters, Mahdi confiscated her passport, misappropriated clinic funds, subjected her to physical abuse, and severely restricted her movements.
In July 2017, in an attempt to recover her passport, Nimisha injected Mahdi with sedatives. The dosage proved fatal. In panic, she and a colleague dismembered his body and concealed the remains in a water tank.
She was arrested at a border checkpoint in August 2017. In 2018, a Yemeni criminal court sentenced her to death, citing unauthorised drug use, intentional killing, and efforts to hide the crime as evidence of premeditation.
Her appeals were subsequently rejected, and in November 2023, Yemen's Supreme Judicial Council upheld the sentence. With the Houthi regime now in charge of judicial processes, her execution was scheduled for July 16, 2025.
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