Nimisha Priya, a 34-year-old Indian nurse, faces imminent execution in Yemen after being convicted of murdering her former business partner, Talal Abdo Mahdi. His dismembered body was found in a water tank in 2017, a crime for which she received a death sentence. Lodged in Sanaa’s central jail, her fate now hinges on a possible pardon from Mahdi’s family, as per Yemen’s Sharia law.
The case has gripped international attention, with Nimisha’s family and supporters desperately working to secure her freedom. For months, they have been negotiating with Mahdi’s family, offering diyah or blood money, a legal provision allowing victims’ families to forgive the accused in exchange for financial compensation.
So far, they have crowdfunded $40,000, transferring it in two tranches to lawyers handling the negotiations. However, a delay in the second payment slowed progress. With the recent approval of her execution by Mahdi al-Mashat, president of the Houthi Supreme Political Council, the situation has grown dire.
Yemeni authorities will now approach Mahdi’s family one last time to seek their final decision. “If the family agrees to pardon her, the execution will be halted,” said Samuel Jerome, a Yemen-based social worker advocating for Nimisha. Forgiveness is the first step; only after that will discussions about accepting the blood money proceed.
Nimisha’s mother, Prema Kumari, has traveled to Sanaa and visited her daughter in prison twice. Despite her dire circumstances, Nimisha remains hopeful, urging her mother to stay strong and trust in divine intervention.
Nimisha’s journey began at 19 when she moved to Yemen as a nurse to support her family financially. Years later, she opened a clinic with Mahdi as her local partner, as required by Yemeni law. However, their relationship soured, exacerbated by the outbreak of Yemen’s civil war in 2014.
Now, with time running out, Nimisha’s family hopes for intervention from the Indian government and the victim’s family’s mercy, praying for a chance to reunite and bring her back home.
