Indian Nurse Sentenced to Death in Yemen – Unveiling the Full Story

Yemen’s Supreme Court has upheld the death sentence of Indian nurse Nimisha Priya, who has been imprisoned since 2017 for the murder of Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mahdi. Priya’s conviction and subsequent sentencing occurred in 2018, and her family has been tirelessly fighting for her release ever since. With the Yemeni Supreme Court rejecting her appeal, the final decision now lies with the country’s President.

The Indian government is aware of the situation and is providing consular assistance as needed, according to Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.

Nimisha Priya hails from the Palakkad district in Kerala. After completing her nursing training, she traveled to Yemen and worked at several private hospitals. In 2014, she met Talal Abdo Mahdi, who promised to assist her in establishing her own clinic. Yemeni law mandates partnering with a local for any business venture, which led Priya and Mahdi to enter into a partnership.

However, conflicts arose between Priya and Mahdi, leading to the dissolution of their partnership. Despite this, Priya proceeded to open her clinic with him in 2015. Local sources reported that Mahdi began threatening Priya, even confiscating her passport to prevent her from leaving Yemen. In response, Priya filed a police complaint against Mahdi, resulting in his arrest in 2016. Unfortunately, Mahdi continued to harass Priya after his release.

In 2017, Priya administered sedatives to Mahdi in an effort to retrieve her passport from his possession. Tragically, he died from an overdose.

Since 2018, Nimisha Priya’s family has been tirelessly advocating for her justice. Earlier this year, her mother approached the high court, seeking permission to travel to Yemen despite a travel ban for Indian nationals. Her goal was to negotiate the payment of “blood money” in order to secure her daughter’s release. Blood money refers to the compensation paid by an offender or their family to the victim or their relatives.

Recently, the Center’s lawyer informed the court that a notification had been issued, suggesting a possible relaxation of the travel ban for specific reasons and durations. Previously, the high court declined to direct the Center to negotiate the payment of blood money, instead urging them to pursue legal remedies against Priya’s conviction in Yemen.

The fate of Nimisha Priya now rests in the hands of Yemen’s President, as her family anxiously awaits a response.