The family of a Yemeni national murdered in 2017 has declared that “she must die,” rejecting all appeals for clemency for Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya, who currently awaits execution on death row in Yemen, reported The Telegraph. Despite last-minute diplomatic efforts and religious mediation from Indian and Yemeni leaders, the victim’s family has refused to forgive, insisting the nurse be executed under Qisas, the Islamic law of retributive justice.
Nimisha Priya, a 36-year-old nurse from Kerala’s Palakkad district, has been in a Yemeni prison since 2017 after being convicted of killing her former business partner, Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mahdi. She was sentenced to death in 2020. Earlier this week, her execution, which was scheduled for July 16, was postponed following interventions by Indian diplomats and prominent Islamic scholars. However, the delay has not changed the firm stance of the victim’s family.
Speaking to Yemeni and Indian media, Talal Mahdi’s brother, Abdelfattah Mahdi, said bluntly: “She must die. We will never forgive her. We will never accept blood money. This is a matter of God’s law. Justice can only be done through execution.”
The case stems from a tragic and complex personal and business relationship between Priya and Mahdi. Reports suggest that Priya had entered into a business partnership with Mahdi to open a clinic in Yemen, where she had been working as a nurse since 2008. As the partnership deteriorated, Mahdi allegedly confiscated her passport and restricted her freedom. In a desperate attempt to retrieve her documents, Priya reportedly sedated Mahdi — a move that turned fatal. After his death, she allegedly attempted to dismember the body to cover up the crime.
The Yemeni court found her guilty of premeditated murder and sentenced her to death by execution. The sentence was upheld in subsequent appeals, leaving only one path for survival: a pardon from the victim’s family in exchange for diyah, or blood money, as permitted under Yemen’s Sharia-based criminal code. But with the family’s firm rejection of any financial settlement, hopes of such a pardon now appear dim.
The Indian government, along with various human rights groups and religious figures, has launched efforts to save Priya’s life. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan personally wrote to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, urging immediate intervention. Meanwhile, Kerala-based Islamic scholar Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar reached out to influential Yemeni cleric Sheikh Habib Umar bin Hafiz, who agreed to mediate with the victim’s family. Despite these appeals, the family has refused to budge.
Supporters of Priya’s cause, including the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, have raised over USD 58,000 for diyah, hoping to negotiate a settlement. However, with the victim’s kin ruling out any form of reconciliation, the collected amount remains unused.
This case has sparked a heated debate across India and beyond. Many see Priya as a woman trapped in a hostile foreign environment, who acted out of fear and desperation. Others, especially in Yemen, view her as a murderer who tried to evade justice. The stark contrast between these narratives highlights the cultural and legal complexities surrounding the case.
International human rights organisations have also raised concerns about the fairness of her trial, pointing to Yemen’s fragile judicial system, which has been under strain due to ongoing conflict. However, Yemen’s judiciary and religious courts maintain that the sentence was delivered in accordance with Sharia law and due process.
For now, Nimisha Priya remains alive, but her fate hangs in the balance. Her case is a chilling reminder of how legal systems, cultural beliefs, and personal desperation can collide in the most tragic ways. While her execution has been temporarily suspended, the possibility of clemency remains bleak unless the Mahdi family has a change of heart.
As the world watches, one thing remains certain: without the victim’s family’s forgiveness, the Kerala nurse on death row in Yemen may soon face the ultimate punishment — a verdict not only handed down by a court but sealed by grief-stricken kin determined to see it through.
Photo Credit: HT
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