New Delhi: India on Tuesday said it is extending all possible help to explore relevant options in the case of an Indian nurse facing a death sentence in Yemen. Nimisha Priya, hailing from Kerala, has been reportedly handed capital punishment for allegedly murdering a Yemeni citizen. "We are aware of the sentencing of Ms. Nimisha Priya in Yemen. We understand that the family of Priya is exploring relevant options," said Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
"The government is extending all possible help in the matter," he added.
Who is Nimisha Priya?
Nimisha Priya, a nurse hailing from Kollengode in Kerala's Palakkad district, moved to Yemen in 2008 to pursue her career in healthcare. According to media reports, her parents are working as daily wage labourers and she was supposed to provide financial assistance to them. Her husband and minor daughter returned to India in 2014 because of financial reasons and in that same year, Yemen was gripped by civil war, and they could not go back as the country stopped issuing new visas.
In Yemen, she worked at several hospitals over the years and eventually aspired to establish her own clinic. Later in 2015, Nimisha joined hands with a Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mahdito (male), to set up her clinic in Yemen's capital city Sana. She sought Mahdi's support because, under Yemen's law, only nationals are allowed to set up clinics and business firms. In 2015, Mahdi accompanied Nimisha Priya to Kerala when she came for a month-long holiday. During the visit, he stole a wedding photograph of Nimisha, which he later manipulated to claim that he was married to her.
Talal Abdo Mahdi murder
In 2017, her professional relationship with her Yemeni business partner, Talal Abdo Mahdi, took a dramatic turn. According to her family, Nimisha opposed Mahdi's alleged attempts to misappropriate funds, which led to a serious fallout between them. According to media reports, Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mahdi confiscated her passport. In an attempt to recover her passport, she allegedly administered sedatives to him. Tragically, an overdose of the sedative led to his death.
What does Nimisha Priya's mother say?
A plea moved by the mother of Nimisha Priya had stated, "After a while, Nimisha's clinic began, Mahdi manipulated the ownership documents of the clinic. He also began to take money out of her monthly earnings after telling everyone that Nimisha was his wife Nimisha had alleged that Mahdi had been harassing her and her family for years. Mahdi also seized her passport. This was done to ensure that she would not leave Yemen. He tortured her under the influence of drugs. He threatened her at gunpoint several times. He took all the money from the clinic and her ornaments."
The plea further alleged that unable to cope with the torture, Nimisha complained to the police in Sana but instead of taking action against Mahdi, the police arrested her and put her in jail for six days. It was further alleged that on her return from jail, the severity of the torture increased manifold.
Nimisha Priya's death sentence
She was apprehended while trying to leave Yemen and was convicted of murder in 2018. In 2020, a trial court in Sana'a sentenced her to death. Although an appeal was filed, Yemen’s Supreme Judicial Council dismissed it in November 2023, while leaving open the possibility of securing a pardon through the payment of blood money.
Nimisha’s family had pinned their hopes on persuading the victim’s family to accept the blood money, believing it would spare her life.
(With inputs from agency)
