Wed Jan 01 03:03:09 UTC 2025: ## Kerala Nurse’s Mother Makes Desperate Plea to Save Daughter from Yemeni Death Sentence
**Sanaa, Yemen/New Delhi, India –** The mother of Nimisha Priya, a Kerala nurse sentenced to death in Yemen, has issued a tearful plea for help, highlighting the urgency of the situation as her daughter faces imminent execution. Prema Kumari, appearing on Malayalam television from Yemen on Tuesday, begged for intervention to save her daughter’s life, stating, “Time is running out.”
Nimisha Priya was sentenced to death in 2020 for the murder of her Yemeni business partner, Talal Abdo Mahdi. While the family claims the death was accidental, resulting from an overdose of sedatives administered to retrieve her confiscated passport, the Yemeni Supreme Judicial Council upheld the death sentence in November 2023. However, the possibility of avoiding execution through the payment of “diya” (blood money) remains.
Prema Kumari has tirelessly campaigned for her daughter’s release, including a trip to Sanaa earlier this year to negotiate with Mahdi’s family. She has received support from the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, a group of NRI social workers based in Yemen.
The urgency intensified after Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi approved the death sentence earlier this month, with reports suggesting the execution could take place within a month. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in India acknowledged the case, stating they are aware of the sentencing and are providing all possible assistance as the family explores available options.
Nimisha Priya, originally from Kollengode in Kerala’s Palakkad district, moved to Yemen in 2008 to support her family. She worked in various hospitals before opening her own clinic. The incident with her business partner occurred in 2017, leading to her arrest and subsequent conviction.
The case has garnered significant attention in India, raising concerns about the safety and well-being of Indian nationals abroad. The family and supporters continue their desperate fight to prevent Nimisha Priya’s execution.
First Piper 