International: In a significant and anticipated breakthrough, the death sentence against Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya, embroiled in a 2017 murder case in Yemen, has been entirely quashed. The pivotal announcement, made on Monday by the office of the Grand Mufti of India, Kanthapuram AP Abubakar Musliyar, signals a remarkable turn in a protracted legal saga that has gripped the nation and international observers alike.
This monumental decision, as conveyed by the Grand Mufti’s office and reported by ANI, is the culmination of relentless diplomatic endeavours spanning several months, punctuated by a crucial high-level conclave in Sanaa, the Yemeni capital. “The death sentence of Nimisha Priya, which was previously suspended, has now been fully cancelled,” the statement affirmed, bringing a glimmer of hope to a family and a nation that had been anxiously following the case.
However, the Grand Mufti’s office also appended a crucial caveat: official written corroboration from the Yemeni government remains pending. Correspondingly, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs has yet to offer formal validation of this latest development, maintaining a cautious stance until official communication is received.
Nimisha Priya, 38, hailing from Palakkad district in Kerala, embarked on a journey to Yemen in 2008, seeking enhanced professional avenues. A skilled nurse, she co-founded a clinic in Sanaa with Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mahdi. The professional association, regrettably, soured, with Mahdi allegedly resorting to harassment, falsely asserting a marital bond, and confiscating her passport, thereby impeding her repatriation to India.
In 2017, in what was described as a desperate bid to reclaim her vital travel documents, Priya reportedly administered a sedative to Mahdi. Tragically, he succumbed to a suspected drug overdose. Her subsequent arrest in 2018 led to a conviction for murder and a death sentence pronounced in 2020.
Her impending execution, slated for July 16, 2025, was dramatically halted at the eleventh hour. This last-minute reprieve came on the heels of a direct and fervent appeal by Grand Mufti Musliyar to Yemeni officials, imploring clemency grounded in humanitarian considerations.
Over the preceding year, a concerted mosaic of diplomatic overtures, encompassing the involvement of prominent Indian religious leaders and political figures, had vigorously pursued a reversal of the severe sentence. It is noteworthy that prior approvals for her execution had been granted by both Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi and Houthi leader Mahdi al-Mashat between late 2024 and early 2025, underscoring the formidable challenges faced in securing this latest reprieve.