Latest news with #TalalAbdoMehdi
News18
a day ago
- Politics
- News18
Kerala CM Urges PM Modi To Save Nurse Nimisha Priya From Death Penalty In Yemen
Last Updated: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan urged PM Modi to intervene to save Nimisha Priya, an Indian nurse facing the death penalty in Yemen for murdering Talal Abdo Mehdi. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene to save the life of Nimisha Priya, facing the death penalty in Yemen. Indian nurse Nimisha Priya has been sentenced to death by a Yemeni court after being convicted of murdering a citizen of the country. 'I appeal to the Prime Minister to take up the matter and intervene with the authorities concerned to save the life of Nimisha Priya," CM Vijayan wrote to PM Modi. The gravity of charges against Nimisha Priya has made it difficult for the efforts to seek relief for her to succeed, news agency PTI said, citing sources. Priya's family, along with several political parties and organisations, are urging the Indian government to intervene diplomatically to save her from execution in Yemen, scheduled for July 16. According to Yemeni court documents, Nimisha Priya in July 2017 allegedly drugged and murdered her local business partner, identified as Talal Abdo Mehdi, and, with the help of another nurse, chopped his body and disposed of the dismembered parts in an underground tank. Later, after the discovery of Mehdi's murder, Nimisha was arrested and allegedly confessed to the killing in one of her statements, the sources said, adding that the trial court in Sanaa sentenced her to death. She challenged this verdict in the highest court in Yemen, but her appeal was rejected and the death sentence upheld. Then Nimisha appealed for mercy to the President of Yemen, but he refused to grant her a pardon, the sources noted. 'The family of the deceased, Talal Abdo Mehdi, is not even willing to accept blood money. All legal efforts have been made for Nimisha Priya, but the allegations against her were so grave that all efforts have failed," PTI said, citing sources. Various political parties and organisations, particularly from Kerala, are pressing the Indian government to intervene and save Nimisha Priya from the death penalty. The Ministry of External Affairs has said it is closely monitoring the developments in the case and is extending all possible help. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court will hear on Monday a plea seeking a direction to the Centre to use diplomatic channels to save the Indian nurse. The sources said that Nimisha Priya was working in Yemen as a nurse since 2008, adding that she travelled to the country with her husband Tommy Thomas after their marriage in 2011, PTI reported. Due to the civil war in Yemen in 2014, her husband returned to Kerala with their daughter, while Nimisha stayed in Yemen. view comments First Published: July 13, 2025, 22:30 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.
UAE Moments
3 days ago
- UAE Moments
Indian Nurse Awaits Pardon to Escape Death Row in Yemen
Final Hope for Indian Nurse on Death Row Lies in Pardon from Yemeni Family With just days left until her scheduled execution on July 16, Indian nurse Nimisha Priya is holding onto one final hope — a pardon from the family of the Yemeni man she was convicted of killing. Activist Babu John, part of the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, revealed that Priya's family has offered $1 million (approx. AED 3.67 million) in diya (blood money) to the victim's family in a desperate bid to save her life. Nimisha moved to Yemen in 2008 to support her family back home, eventually launching her own clinic. As per local regulations, she entered into a business partnership with a Yemeni national, Talal Abdo Mehdi. The relationship reportedly turned abusive, and events spiraled into a tragic confrontation. Now imprisoned, Nimisha has been serving fellow inmates as a nurse while awaiting her fate. Her story has sparked international outcry and a renewed push from activists and the Indian diaspora to appeal for mercy. Her only chance at survival lies in forgiveness from Talal's family — a decision that could rewrite the ending of a case filled with pain, injustice, and complexity.
The Independent
6 days ago
- The Independent
Indian nurse convicted of killing business partner to be executed in Yemen on 16 July, says negotiator
An Indian nurse convicted of murdering her Yemeni business partner is slated to be executed on 16 July, according to a negotiator involved in last-ditch efforts to save her life. Nimisha Priya, 38, from the southern Indian state of Kerala, was sentenced to death in 2020 for the killing of Talal Abdo Mehdi, a Yemeni national who co-owned a clinic with her in Sanaa. The sentence was upheld by the Supreme Judicial Council in 2023. Priya has been lodged in a prison in Sanaa since her arrest in 2017. She was convicted of injecting Mr Mehdi with sedatives in a bid to retrieve her passport, which he had allegedly confiscated. The dose proved fatal. Yemeni law punishes murder by death, as it does drug trafficking, apostasy, adultery, and same-sex relations. The Arab nation, however, allows a murder convict to be pardoned by the victim's kin in exchange for diyat, or 'blood money'. Samuel Jerome Baskaran, a social worker who has been negotiating on behalf of the nurse with Yemeni officials and the victim's family, confirmed the imminent execution. 'The public prosecutor had issued the letter of prosecution to the jail authorities. The execution is scheduled for July 16. Options are still open. The government of India can intervene in the matter to save her life,' he was quoted as saying by the Indian Express. He was returning to Yemen to resume the negotiations after a prior offer to the victim's family went unanswered. 'We had made an offer to the family during the last meeting. So far, they have not responded,' Mr Baskaran said. Priya moved to Yemen in 2008 and eventually launched a clinic in partnership with Mr Mehdi, in line with Yemeni law that required foreign entrepreneurs to collaborate with citizens. Her family previously alleged that Priya faced mental, physical and financial abuse at his hands. She had even filed a police complaint against him in 2016, leading to his brief arrest. He allegedly resumed threatening her after getting out. India's foreign ministry said it had been tracking the case closely since Priya's conviction in 2018. 'We have been in regular touch with local authorities and her family members and rendered all possible assistance,' a source was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India. The ministry continues to explore options for intervention despite limited diplomatic engagement with the Houthis, who rule most of Yemen. The nurse's mother, Prema Kumari, a domestic worker in Kochi city, has been in Yemen for the past year trying to save her daughter. In December, she moved the Delhi High Court for exemption from the Indian travel advisory barring citizens from visiting the conflict-ridden Yemen. She has visited her daughter several times in prison. In an emotional appeal earlier this year, Ms Kumari said: 'I am deeply grateful to the Indian and Kerala governments, as well as the committee formed to save her, for all the support provided so far. But this is my final plea – please help us save her life. Time is running out.' Priya is the latest Indian citizen facing the death penalty in the Gulf. At least three Indians were executed in the UAE earlier this year.
