Latest news with #SaveNimishaPriyaCouncil
BBC News
15-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Nimisha Priya: Yemen postpones execution of Kerala nurse on death row
Authorities in Yemen have postponed the execution of an Indian nurse who is on death row after being found guilty of murder, Indian foreign ministry sources Priya, who was sentenced to death for murdering a local man, was set to be executed on 16 July, according to campaigners working to save nurse, who is from the southern Indian state of Kerala, was charged with killing her former business partner Talal Abdo Mahdi, whose chopped-up body was discovered in a water tank in 2017. She denied the postponement of her execution is only a temporary reprieve - the only way she can be saved is if Mahdi's family pardons her. Her relatives and supporters have offered $1m (£735,000) as diyah, or blood money, to be paid to Mahdi's family."We are still trying to save her. But ultimately the family has to agree for pardon," Babu John, social activist and member of the Save Nimisha Priya Council, told the BBC last week after the date for her execution was Indian foreign ministry sources said on Tuesday that its officials had been in touch regularly with jail authorities and the prosecutor's office in Yemen, where there has been a civil war since government "made concerted efforts in recent days to seek more time for the family of Ms Nimisha Priya to reach a mutually agreeable solution with the other party", they Priya left Kerala for Yemen in 2008 to work as a nurse. She was arrested in 2017 after Mahdi's body was discovered. The 34-year-old is presently lodged in the central jail in Sanaa, the Yemeni 2020, a local court sentenced her to death. Her family challenged the decision in Yemen's Supreme Court, but their appeal was rejected in early January, Mahdi al-Mashat, president of the rebel Houthis' Supreme Political Council, approved her Islamic judicial system, known as Sharia, offers her one last hope - securing a pardon from the victim's family by paying blood money to mother, a poor domestic helper from Kerala, has been in Yemen since April 2024 in a last-ditch effort to save her. She has nominated Samuel Jerome, a Yemen-based social worker, to negotiate with Mahdi's family. A lobby group called Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council has been raising money by crowdfunding for the purpose and Mr Jerome has said that $1m has been offered to Mahdi's BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Yahoo
Yemen to execute Indian nurse on death row - can she be saved?
An Indian nurse who is on death row in war-torn Yemen is set to be executed on 16 July, campaigners working to save her have told the BBC. Nimisha Priya was sentenced to death for the murder of a local man - her former business partner Talal Abdo Mahdi - whose chopped-up body was discovered in a water tank in 2017. The only way she can be saved is if Mahdi's family pardons her. Her relatives and supporters have offered $1m (£735,000) as diyah, or blood money, to be paid to Mahdi's family. "We are still waiting for their pardon or any other demands," a member of the Save Nimisha Priya Council told the BBC. "The execution date has been conveyed by the director general of prosecution to jail authorities . We are still trying to save her. But ultimately the family has to agree for pardon," Babu John, social activist and member of the council said. An official in India's ministry of external affairs told BBC that they were still trying to confirm the details. Nimisha Priya had left the southern Indian state of Kerala for Yemen in 2008 to work as a nurse. She was arrested in 2017 after Mahdi's body was discovered. The 34-year-old is presently lodged in Sanaa central jail in the capital of Yemen. She was charged with killing Mahdi by giving him an "overdose of sedatives" and allegedly chopping up his body. Nimisha denied the allegations. In court, her lawyer argued that Mahdi physically tortured her, snatched all her money, seized her passport and even threatened her with a gun. He said she had tried to anaesthetise Mahdi just to retrieve her passport from him, but that the dose was accidentally increased. In 2020, a local court sentenced her to death. Her family challenged the decision in Yemen's Supreme Court, but their appeal was rejected in 2023. In early January, Mahdi al-Mashat, president of the rebel Houthis' Supreme Political Council, approved her execution. Yemen's Islamic judicial system, known as Sharia, offer her one last ray of hope - securing a pardon from the victim's family by paying blood money to them. Nimisha's mother, a poor domestic helper from Kerala, has been in Yemen since April 2014 in a last-ditch effort to save her. She has nominated Samuel Jerome, a Yemen-based social worker, to negotiate with Mahdi's family. A lobby group called Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council has been raising money by crowdfunding for the purpose and Mr Jerome has said that $1m has been offered to Mahdi's family. Follow BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
BBC News
09-07-2025
- BBC News
Nimisha Priya: Yemen to execute Indian nurse on death row - can she be saved?
An Indian nurse who is on death row in war-torn Yemen is set to be executed on 16 July, campaigners working to save her have told the Priya was sentenced to death for the murder of a local man - her former business partner Talal Abdo Mahdi - whose chopped-up body was discovered in a water tank in only way she can be saved is if Mahdi's family pardons her. Her relatives and supporters have offered $1m (£735,000) as diyah, or blood money, to be paid to Mahdi's family."We are still waiting for their pardon or any other demands," a member of the Save Nimisha Priya Council told the BBC. "The execution date has been conveyed by the director general of prosecution to jail authorities . We are still trying to save her. But ultimately the family has to agree for pardon," Babu John, social activist and member of the council official in India's ministry of external affairs told BBC that they were still trying to confirm the details. Nimisha Priya had left the southern Indian state of Kerala for Yemen in 2008 to work as a nurse. She was arrested in 2017 after Mahdi's body was discovered. The 34-year-old is presently lodged in Sanaa central jail in the capital of was charged with killing Mahdi by giving him an "overdose of sedatives" and allegedly chopping up his denied the allegations. In court, her lawyer argued that Mahdi physically tortured her, snatched all her money, seized her passport and even threatened her with a said she had tried to anaesthetise Mahdi just to retrieve her passport from him, but that the dose was accidentally 2020, a local court sentenced her to death. Her family challenged the decision in Yemen's Supreme Court, but their appeal was rejected in early January, Mahdi al-Mashat, president of the rebel Houthis' Supreme Political Council, approved her Islamic judicial system, known as Sharia, offer her one last ray of hope - securing a pardon from the victim's family by paying blood money to mother, a poor domestic helper from Kerala, has been in Yemen since April 2014 in a last-ditch effort to save her. She has nominated Samuel Jerome, a Yemen-based social worker, to negotiate with Mahdi's family. A lobby group called Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council has been raising money by crowdfunding for the purpose and Mr Jerome has said that $1m has been offered to Mahdi's BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
