Mon Jul 14 08:20:00 UTC 2025: ## News Article: Indian Nurse Faces Imminent Execution in Yemen
**Sana, Yemen:** Nimisha Priya, an Indian nurse imprisoned in Yemen’s Sana’a Central Jail, is facing imminent execution for the alleged murder of Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mahdi. With a reported execution date of July 16th, efforts to secure her release are intensifying.
Priya was sentenced to death in 2020 under Yemen’s Islamic Sharia law. Her only hope for survival rested on securing a pardon from Mahdi’s family in exchange for “blood money.” Her mother, Prema Kumari, traveled to Yemen in April with special permission from the Indian government to plead for her daughter’s life.
“They have neither refused to forgive Nimisha nor have they agreed to it,” said Samuel Jerome, a social worker authorized by Priya’s family to advocate for her case in Yemen.
According to Jerome, prison officials informed Priya on July 7th about the impending execution. Prema Kumari, who last met her daughter in prison in April, said Nimisha had sent her a message but did not mention the execution date to avoid causing her distress.
The case has garnered attention in both India and Yemen. While some Yemenis are angered by the murder of their countryman, others believe Priya should be spared. Jerome acknowledged the support of the Indian Embassy in Yemen, particularly citing the efforts of former Minister of State for External Affairs, V.K. Singh, whose intervention in 2017 helped ensure a fair trial for Priya.
The ‘Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council’ has filed a petition in the Indian Supreme Court, urging the Indian government to intervene diplomatically. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the case on July 14th and has requested the government to provide information on any actions taken.
Nimisha Priya, originally from Palakkad, Kerala, moved to Yemen in 2008 to work as a nurse. In 2015, she started a clinic with Talal Abdo Mahdi. Mahdi was found dead in 2017, and Priya was arrested shortly after. She maintains that Mahdi abused and exploited her, and that the fatal dose of sleeping medication was intended only to retrieve her passport.
First Piper 