Latest news with #Houthi-controlled
News18
16 hours ago
- Politics
- News18
What Is Qisas, The Islamic Law That Could Decide Indian Nurse Nimisha Priya's Fate? Explained
Priya's execution, initially scheduled for July 16, was postponed after diplomatic efforts by the Indian government and involvement of prominent religious figures from Kerala The execution of Nimisha Priya, who is on death row in Yemen, may have been put on hold, but the family of her former business partner and victim Talal Abdo Mahdi seems unrelenting and has sought strict application of God's Law in Qisas in a development that could signal more trouble for the Indian nurse. Priya's execution, initially scheduled for July 16, was postponed after persistent diplomatic efforts by the Indian government and involvement of prominent religious figures from Kerala, including the Grand Mufti of India. She remains detained in a Houthi-controlled prison in Sana'a, the capital of Yemen, where India does not have official diplomatic ties. In a Facebook post, the victim's brother Abdelfattah Mahdi said the family had rejected all reconciliation offers, including those of being paid blood money. 'What is happening today, and all the talk of mediation and reconciliation attempts, is neither new nor surprising. Throughout the years of our case, there have been covert efforts and serious attempts at mediation — and that is natural and expected. But the pressures we have faced have not changed us. Our demand is clear: Qisas (retribution), and nothing else, no matter what," he said. In an interview with BBC Arabic, he also denied claims made by Priya regarding abuse, exploitation, or passport confiscation. What Is Qisas? Under Yemen's Islamic legal system, the principle of Qisas allows the victim's family to seek retributive justice—typically the death penalty in cases of murder. It is rooted in the concept of 'an eye for an eye", promoting a form of justice that mirrors the harm done. Qisas is legally enforceable in several countries that follow Sharia-based criminal justice systems, either fully or partially. These include: Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, Sudan, Yemen, Afghanistan (under the Taliban), and some regions in Nigeria (where Sharia is applied). In these countries, Qisas is embedded in the legal code and can be carried out as a form of retributive justice, particularly in murder and grievous bodily harm cases. However, judicial review and government oversight often influence its implementation. However, under Sharia law in Yemen, the victim's family also has the option to pardon the accused in return for diyah, or blood money—a financial settlement intended to promote reconciliation. If accepted, the payment can result in a pardon and the cancellation of the death sentence. What Lies Ahead For Nimisha Priya? Given that Mahdi's family is unwilling to budge from its stand, the enforcement of Qisas means that unless the victim's family chooses to forgive or alters its position, the death sentence legally stands and cannot be overturned. view comments First Published: July 16, 2025, 13:24 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
New Indian Express
20 hours ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Houthi-linked arms dealers sell weapons of war on X and WhatsApp: Tech Transparency Project
Elon Musk's X and Meta-owned WhatsApp are hosting a thriving arms trade tied to Houthi militants in Yemen, a Tech Transparency Project (TTP) investigation has found. TTP is a Washington DC-based research initiative of Campaign for Accountability that seeks to hold large technology companies accountable. TTP's report builds on the findings of an August 2024 report from The Times in the UK, which found similar arms trading activity on X and WhatsApp. In a separate report in May 2025, TTP identified a number of Houthi officials with blue checkmark accounts on X, indicating they paid the platform for premium service, the TTP website said. According to the report, TTP identified 130 Yemen-based X accounts that offered high-powered rifles, grenade launchers, and other weapons. More than half of the accounts were located in Sanaa, the Houthi-controlled capital of Yemen, and many expressed allegiance to the Houthis or displayed the Houthi emblem in their posts. In some cases, the weapons offered for sale were clearly marked as 'Property of US Govt.' The accounts did not explain how they acquired these US-branded weapons, but militants around the world have tapped into a thriving black market for weapons left behind by US forces in Afghanistan. Both X and WhatsApp have policies barring weapons sales but evidently were not enforcing them in these cases. In addition to hosting the arms dealers, X ran ads beneath some of weapons posts, indicating the company generated revenue off them.
Time of India
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Nimisha Priya death sentence case: 'We insist on implementing God's law' - what Yemen family said about Kerala nurse
NEW DELHI: The family of Talal Abdo Mahdi, the man allegedly murdered by Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya, has firmly demanded justice, insisting on "implementing God's Law in Qisas [retaliation in kind]. " With Yemen postponing the execution of the nurse in the murder case, hope now solely rests on the deceased's family agreeing to settle through indemnity. In an interview with the BBC Arabic on Monday, before the postponement of Priya's execution, Mahdi's brother Abdelfattah said, "Our stance on the attempts at reconciliation is clear; we insist on implementing God's Law in Qisas [retaliation in kind], nothing else." "Any dispute, whatever its reasons and however big, can never justify a murder - let alone dismembering, mutilating and hiding the body," he added. The Centre informed the Supreme Court that paying "blood money" was the only remaining option to save Priya from execution in Yemen. This payment is allowed under Sharia law, which guides many Islamic legal systems. Priya moved from Kerala to Yemen in 2008 to pursue a nursing career. Nearly a decade later, in 2017, she was arrested after the body of her business partner Talal Mahdi was found. In 2020, a Yemeni court sentenced her to death, a verdict upheld by the country's Supreme Judicial Council in November 2023. She remains imprisoned in Sana'a, the Houthi-controlled capital of Yemen.
Khabar Agency
a day ago
- Business
- Khabar Agency
Yemeni Central Bank: Houthi Militia Circulates Counterfeit Currency with Terrorist Signature, Warns Citizens, Companies, and Banks Against Its Use
On Tuesday evening, the Yemeni Central Bank accused the terrorist Houthi militia of committing a new crime against the national economy by printing counterfeit 200-riyal banknotes bearing the signature of an individual fraudulently posing as a legal authority—a figure classified on terrorism lists. The bank stated that the militia has already begun circulating these notes through its controlled branch in the hijacked capital, Sana'a. In an official statement, the bank clarified that this move coincides with the militia's announcement of its intent to introduce this counterfeit currency in its areas of influence on Wednesday, July 16, less than 72 hours after issuing a new 50-riyal coin. This, the bank stressed, exposes the militia's systematic intent to fatally undermine Yemen's financial and economic system. The bank affirmed that these actions are an extension of the Houthi militia's policy of looting and counterfeiting, aimed at financing its illegal financial networks and shell institutions, which operate without monetary cover or legitimacy. This has led to the uncontrolled injection of trillions in local currency and billions in foreign currencies, devoid of proper banking oversight or regulation. The statement described these reckless measures as evidence of the militia's severe economic vulnerability and its desperate attempts to delay an imminent financial collapse through illicit means. It warned that such policies could trigger widespread public backlash due to the destruction of Yemenis' livelihoods and the plundering of their savings. The Central Bank urged all citizens, financial and banking institutions, and exchange companies to refrain from handling these counterfeit notes in any form or accepting them in financial settlements, as they are issued by an illegitimate entity classified as terrorist. Dealing with such currency, the bank cautioned, exposes violators to legal accountability and penalties under relevant local and international laws. The statement noted that the Aden-based Central Bank had worked in recent years to keep financial and banking channels open with Houthi-controlled areas, in coordination with allied and friendly nations, to ensure continued financial services for citizens there. However, the militia's insistence on sabotaging the monetary system threatens these efforts and risks triggering international sanctions. The bank concluded by holding the Houthi militia fully responsible—legally and financially—for its economic crimes and their catastrophic repercussions on citizens, institutions, and Yemen's relations with regional and international financial systems.
Yemen Online
2 days ago
- Business
- Yemen Online
Yemen : Houthis Introduce New 200-Rial Banknote
Sana'a ــ Houthi-controlled Central Bank in Sana'a announced the release of a new 200-rial banknote, marking a significant development in Yemen's ongoing monetary divide. According to the bank's statement, the new note is intended to replace heavily worn 200 and 250-rial bills that have deteriorated due to overuse. Officials emphasized that the new currency was printed to meet international standards and would not affect exchange rates or increase inflation, as it merely substitutes damaged notes. This move comes amid a broader currency war between Yemen's rival central banks in Sana'a and Aden, each operating under different authorities. The internationally recognized government in Aden has previously condemned similar Houthi-issued currencies as counterfeit, warning that such unilateral actions deepen the country's economic fragmentation. As Yemen's financial landscape grows increasingly polarized, the new 200-rial note symbolizes more than just a monetary update—it reflects the deepening divide in governance, legitimacy, and economic control.
