Nimisha Priya, a 37-year-old nurse from Kerala&rsquo;s Palakkad district, is set to be executed in Yemen on July 16 following her conviction in the murder case of Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mehdi. The confirmation came from Samuel Jerome Baskaran, a social worker involved in ongoing discussions with Yemeni authorities and the victim&rsquo;s family, as reported by a national daily.&nbsp;
Priya had moved to Sana&rsquo;a, Yemen&rsquo;s capital, in 2011 after completing her nursing studies, hoping to financially support her family. She worked long hours in several hospitals before pursuing her long-standing goal of opening a medical clinic. In order to fulfil legal requirements for foreign nationals in Yemen, she entered into a business partnership in 2015 with Talal Abdo Mehdi, who agreed to support her venture.
However, tensions emerged between the two. Priya later accused Mehdi of mistreatment and abuse. It was also alleged that he had taken her passport to restrict her movements. Following a complaint filed by Priya, Mehdi was taken into custody in 2016 but was subsequently released, according to reports.
In an attempt to retrieve her passport, Priya allegedly administered sedatives to Mehdi, who died from a drug overdose. Following his death, she and her colleague, a Yemeni woman named Hanan, were accused of cutting up the body and disposing of the remains in a water tank.
Priya was arrested in 2017. A trial court in Sana&rsquo;a later found her guilty of murder. In 2020, she was sentenced to death by a Yemeni court. The verdict was upheld by the country&rsquo;s Supreme Judicial Council and signed off by President Rashad al-Alimi in 2024.
The case has been primarily overseen by the Houthi administration, according to the Yemeni embassy, as reported by a news agency. Priya remains in custody in Sana&rsquo;a, which is currently under Houthi control.
Samuel Jerome, a human rights campaigner who also holds the legal authority for Priya&rsquo;s mother, Prema Kumari, revealed that the Yemeni prison authorities had officially notified him of the scheduled execution. He confirmed that the public prosecutor had issued instructions to carry out the death sentence on July 16.
Jerome also disclosed that an offer had previously been made to Mehdi&rsquo;s family during discussions, but they did not respond. He is preparing to travel to Yemen once more in hopes of reopening negotiations.
India&rsquo;s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a statement, saying, &ldquo;We have been closely following the matter since then. We have been in regular touch with local authorities and her family members and rendered all possible assistance. We continue to closely follow the matter.&rdquo;
Priya&rsquo;s husband and daughter, who had relocated with her initially, returned to India in 2014 due to financial difficulties. Ongoing conflict in Yemen has prevented them from reuniting with her since.
&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)
&nbsp;

Efforts underway to halt July 16 execution of Kerala nurse convicted in Yemen.

Indian National’s Execution Scheduled in Yemen

Efforts underway to halt July 16 execution of Kerala nurse convicted in Yemen.

July 9, 2025 | 03:20 IST