Nimisha Priya
YaHind.Com News Desk
Sana’a, Yemen, July 9, 2025 – Nimisha Priya, a 37-year-old nurse from Kerala’s Palakkad district, is scheduled to be executed in Yemen on July 16, 2025, for the 2017 murder of Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mehdi. The case has sparked urgent calls for intervention as her family and supporters race against time to secure her release.
Nimisha, who moved to Yemen in 2011 to support her family, partnered with Mehdi to open a clinic in Sana’a, as Yemeni law requires a local co-owner. According to her family and advocates, the partnership turned abusive, with Mehdi allegedly subjecting her to physical, financial, and sexual abuse, confiscating her passport, and forging marriage documents. In a desperate attempt to escape, Nimisha administered sedatives to retrieve her passport, but the dose proved fatal, leading to her arrest and conviction in 2018.
A Yemeni trial court sentenced her to death in 2020, a verdict upheld by the Supreme Judicial Council in 2023. In January 2025, the execution was approved by Mahdi al-Mashat, leader of the Houthi-controlled Supreme Political Council. Under Yemeni Sharia law, Nimisha’s last hope lies in securing a pardon from Mehdi’s family through “diyah” (blood money). The Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council has offered up to $1 million, but negotiations have stalled, with no response from the victim’s family.
Human rights activist Samuel Jerome, representing Nimisha’s mother, Prema Kumari, is traveling to Yemen to resume talks. Prema, a domestic worker from Kochi, has been in Yemen since 2024, seeking a resolution. The Indian government, despite lacking formal diplomatic ties with the Houthi authorities controlling Sana’a, is engaging through backchannels. “We have been in regular touch with local authorities and her family, rendering all possible assistance,” an Indian official stated.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP John Brittas has urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to intervene, citing widespread concern. However, the absence of official confirmation from the Indian embassy or the Ministry of External Affairs about the July 16 date adds uncertainty.
Supporters have raised concerns about the trial’s fairness, alleging inadequate legal representation and translation support. With days remaining, the campaign to save Nimisha hinges on diplomatic efforts and the possibility of a pardon. The case underscores the challenges faced by Indian migrant workers in conflict zones and the complexities of navigating justice under Houthi rule.
YaHind.Com will continue to monitor developments in this critical case.
