Nimisha Priya, a 37-year-old nurse from Kollengode in Kerala’s Palakkad district, is scheduled to be executed in Yemen on July 16, 2025, for the 2017 murder of Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mahdi. Her case, rooted in allegations of abuse and complicated by Yemen’s civil war and legal system, has drawn significant attention from Indian authorities, human rights groups, and international mediators. Below is a detailed account of her background, the circumstances leading to her conviction, and the ongoing efforts to save her life.
Background and Move to Yemen
Born to daily-wage laborers, Nimisha Priya trained as a nurse to improve her family’s financial situation. Unable to secure nursing work in Kerala due to incomplete school qualifications, she moved to Yemen in 2008 at age 19 to pursue better opportunities. She worked in private hospitals in Sana’a, Yemen’s capital, and by 2011 had married Tomy Thomas, a tuk-tuk driver from Idukki, Kerala. The couple had a daughter in 2012 but faced financial struggles. In 2014, her husband and daughter returned to India due to escalating civil unrest in Yemen and financial difficulties, leaving Nimisha alone to support them through her work.
In 2015, seeking greater financial independence, Nimisha decided to open her own medical clinic in Sana’a. Yemeni law required foreign nationals to partner with a local citizen to register a business, so she collaborated with Talal Abdo Mahdi, a businessman who owned a textile shop and was a regular at her previous workplace. This partnership, initially a legal necessity, marked the beginning of a tumultuous relationship that would lead to her current predicament.
The Partnership and Alleged Abuse
According to Nimisha and her family, her relationship with Mahdi quickly deteriorated. Mahdi allegedly manipulated ownership documents, claiming 67% of the clinic’s shares while allocating 33% to Nimisha’s former employer, leaving her with minimal control. He reportedly withheld profits, physically and sexually assaulted her, and seized her passport to prevent her from leaving Yemen. Nimisha also accused Mahdi of forging a wedding photograph to falsely claim they were married, further complicating her situation. She alleged he threatened her with a gun, drugged her, and took her earnings and possessions, including jewelry.
Nimisha sought help from local authorities, filing complaints against Mahdi in Sana’a. However, instead of receiving protection, she was arrested and detained for six days. Her family claims that after her release, Mahdi’s abuse intensified. In 2015, Mahdi accompanied Nimisha to Kerala for a month-long visit, meeting her husband and staying with her family, which added to the complexity of their relationship when he later used forged documents to assert control.
The 2017 Incident and Conviction
In July 2017, desperate to retrieve her passport and escape Yemen, Nimisha allegedly sedated Mahdi with the help of a prison official’s suggestion. Her intent, according to her defense, was to render him unconscious to recover her documents. Tragically, the sedative dose proved fatal, leading to Mahdi’s death. In a panic, Nimisha, assisted by a Yemeni colleague named Hanan, dismembered Mahdi’s body and disposed of it in a water tank. She was arrested in August 2017 while attempting to flee Yemen near the Saudi border.
Nimisha was tried in a Yemeni court in 2018, conducted entirely in Arabic without an interpreter or adequate legal representation, according to her supporters. She was convicted of murder and sentenced to death in 2020. Her accomplice, Hanan, received a life sentence. Nimisha’s family appealed the verdict, but Yemen’s Supreme Judicial Council upheld the death penalty in November 2023. In December 2024, Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi approved the execution, and in early 2025, Mahdi al-Mashat, president of the Houthi rebels’ Supreme Political Council, ratified it, setting the execution date for July 16, 2025.
Legal and Diplomatic Challenges
Nimisha’s case is complicated by Yemen’s ongoing civil war and the lack of formal diplomatic ties between India and the Houthi-controlled administration in Sana’a, where she is imprisoned. The Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, control the capital and operate a separate judicial system, which has handled Nimisha’s case. India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has been actively involved, stating it has closely followed the case since 2018, maintaining regular contact with Yemeni authorities and Nimisha’s family to provide assistance. However, the absence of direct diplomatic channels with the Houthis has hindered negotiations.
Under Yemen’s Sharia-based legal system, the only way to halt Nimisha’s execution is through a pardon from Mahdi’s family, who can accept “diyah” (blood money) as compensation. The Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, formed in 2020 by her relatives and supporters, has been crowdfunding to raise funds for this purpose. The council offered $1 million to Mahdi’s family, but as of July 2025, the family has not accepted the offer. Negotiations have been stalled by disputes over transparency in fund usage and delays in transferring a $40,000 pre-negotiation fee to a lawyer appointed by the Indian Embassy.
Nimisha’s mother, Prema Kumari, a domestic worker from Kochi, has been in Yemen since April 2024, meeting her daughter multiple times in Sana’a’s central prison to plead for her release. Prema’s presence was intended to add an emotional appeal to negotiations, but Yemeni law prohibits direct contact between the convict’s family and the victim’s relatives, requiring intermediaries. Despite three negotiation meetings, including one where a close family member reportedly agreed to a pardon, no final agreement has been reached, and all of Mahdi’s blood relatives and tribal leaders must consent.
Efforts to Save Nimisha
The Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, supported by activists like Samuel Jerome Baskaran, a Yemen-based social worker, continues to negotiate with Mahdi’s family and Yemeni officials. Jerome, who holds power of attorney for Prema, remains hopeful that a last-minute pardon could be secured. The Indian government has explored diplomatic avenues, with Iran indicating willingness to assist, though Yemen’s Houthi authorities maintain that the case is a legal matter for their courts. In June 2024, India approved $40,000 to initiate talks, but progress has been slow due to logistical and transparency issues.
Human rights groups and Nimisha’s supporters, including Indian Supreme Court lawyer K.R. Subhash Chandran, have called for a retrial, citing procedural flaws such as the lack of an interpreter during her trial and allegations of abuse by Mahdi. Her family emphasizes that Nimisha acted out of desperation to escape years of torture, arguing that the context of her actions warrants clemency.
Last Updated on: Wednesday, July 9, 2025 4:05 pm by Lok Ram | Published by: Lok Ram on Wednesday, July 9, 2025 4:05 pm | News Categories: News, General
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