What began as a search for better prospects in the Gulf turned into a life-altering saga for Nimisha Priya, a nurse from Kerala’s Palakkad district, who is now at the center of a high-stakes diplomatic and religious intervention to save her from execution in Yemen.
In 2008, like many young women from Kerala, Priya moved to Yemen in hopes of a brighter future. Within years, she married, had a child, and even co-founded her own clinic. But by 2018, she found herself behind bars—convicted of murder and sentenced to death. Now, in 2025, her life hangs in the balance as Indian diplomats and religious leaders work to prevent her execution.
A Timeline of Nimisha Priya’s Journey:
- 2008: Nimisha Priya moves to Yemen, finds work as a nurse, and gradually establishes herself.
- 2015: Opens the Al Aman Medical Clinic with Yemeni businessman Tala Abdo Mehdi as co-owner. The ongoing civil war in Yemen escalates, creating a volatile environment.
- 2016: Priya accuses Mehdi of harassment and seizing her documents, including her passport. Her complaints to police reportedly go unheeded.
- 2017: In a desperate attempt to recover her passport and flee the country, Priya allegedly sedates Mehdi, resulting in his death. She is arrested while attempting to leave Yemen.
- 2018: Convicted of murder and sentenced to death, with claims that her legal defense was inadequate.
- 2020: Yemen’s court upholds the death sentence. The Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council is formed to advocate for her release.
- 2023: Yemen’s Supreme Judicial Council dismisses her final appeal.
- 2024: Priya’s family begins negotiations with the victim’s relatives to pay “diyah” (blood money) as permitted under Islamic law. Over $40,000 is reportedly raised.
- July 15, 2025: With execution scheduled for July 16, Indian government officials and Grand Mufti Sheikh Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar intervene. The execution is officially postponed.
The Grand Mufti’s involvement—leveraging provisions in Islamic law that allow the victim’s family to pardon the accused in exchange for compensation—has created a crucial opportunity to save Nimisha’s life.
Her case now stands as a grim example of the perils faced by migrant workers in conflict zones and the challenges of ensuring justice for Indians abroad. As India awaits a resolution, the life of Nimisha Priya hinges on continued diplomatic negotiations, religious appeals, and humanitarian efforts.