From Kerala to death row: Why Indian nurse Nimisha Priya faces execution in Yemen

Priya, a 37-year-old from Kerala’s Palakkad district, moved to Yemen in 2008 in search of better work opportunities.

Indian nurse Nimisha Priya, convicted of murdering a Yemeni national in 2017, is reportedly set to be executed in Yemen on July 16. Her case has drawn widespread attention due to the circumstances surrounding the crime, allegations of abuse, and India’s ongoing diplomatic efforts to save her life.

Who is Nimisha Priya?

Priya, a 37-year-old from Kerala’s Palakkad district, moved to Yemen in 2008 in search of better work opportunities. A trained nurse, she initially worked in private hospitals before deciding to set up her medical clinic in Sana’a.

It should be mentioned here that since Yemeni law prohibits foreigners from owning businesses independently, she entered a partnership with a local man, Talal Abdo Mahdi, to register the clinic.

The partnership between Priya and Mahdi, however, quickly fell out.

The incident

According to her family and support groups, Mahdi allegedly seized control of the clinic, withheld profits, and claimed 67 percent ownership. On the other hand, Priya also accused Mahdi of physical and sexual abuse, manipulating documents to falsely claim marriage, and taking possession of her passport, effectively restricting her movement.

In 2015, Mahdi even visited India with Priya and allegedly used that trip to alter a photograph to support his marital claim in a Yemeni court.

The situation further worsened in July 2017, when Priya, desperate to recover her passport and return to India, sought advice from a prison official who suggested sedating Mahdi. She reportedly injected him with a sedative, but he died of an overdose.

In panic, she and a fellow Yemeni nurse allegedly dismembered his body and disposed of it in a water tank. Both were arrested and in 2020, a Yemeni court sentenced Priya to death. The country’s Supreme Judicial Council upheld the verdict in 2023.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has said it is closely monitoring the case.

A group called the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council has been campaigning for her release, focusing on negotiations under Islamic law provisions of “diyya”, or blood money.

In June 2024, the Indian government approved the transfer of $40,000 to initiate talks with Mahdi’s family, but no agreement has been reached so far.

The situation is further complicated by the fact that Priya is currently imprisoned in Houthi-controlled Sana’a, an area where India does not have formal diplomatic representation. The Houthi regime, running its judicial system separately from Yemen’s internationally recognised government, confirmed the execution date earlier this year.

Social worker Samuel Jerome Baskaran, who holds the power of attorney for Priya’s mother and is liaising with Yemeni authorities, confirmed that the public prosecutor has issued the execution order to prison authorities, as per a Hindustan Times report. He has, however, stated that there is still a narrow window for intervention, either through last-minute negotiations or a humanitarian appeal.

Priya’s mother, Prema Kumari, had travelled to Yemen last year in a bid to secure a pardon through compensation, but efforts remain stalled.

Despite the legal and diplomatic hurdles, Indian officials maintain that they are in regular contact with Yemeni authorities and Priya’s family. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal has reiterated that the government is extending all possible assistance.

Unless the victim’s family accepts compensation or a last-minute clemency is granted, Nimisha Priya’s execution will go ahead on July 16. Activists and rights groups, meanwhile, continue to appeal for compassion, citing the abuse she allegedly endured and the lack of legal safeguards available to her in a conflict-ridden foreign territory.