Execution of Indian Nurse Delayed in Yemen Amid Last-Minute Clemency Efforts

Kerala native Nimisha Priya’s fate uncertain as talks continue for blood money settlement

Yemen has postponed the scheduled execution of Nimisha Priya, a 34-year-old Indian nurse from Kerala convicted of murdering her Yemeni business partner, Talal Abdo Mahdi. The execution, which was set for July 16, 2025, has been temporarily halted, according to a BBC report.

Priya was convicted after Mahdi’s dismembered remains were discovered in a water tank in 2017. Under Yemen’s Sharia law, her only path to clemency is through “diyah” or blood money, a form of compensation offered to the victim’s family. Priya’s supporters claim to have raised around $1 million to secure her release.

Despite this, Mahdi’s family remains firm in their demand for justice through capital punishment. They have rejected the compensation offer, stating, “We insist on implementing God’s Law in Qisas… nothing else.”

India’s Ministry of External Affairs is in contact with Yemeni authorities, seeking more time for negotiation. Meanwhile, Priya remains imprisoned in Sanaa’s central jail as her legal team continues to appeal the sentence. The delay in execution offers a slim window for diplomatic efforts and renewed appeals to sway the victim’s family toward forgiveness.