Nimisha Priya case: One day before execution, BIG relief for Kerala nurse jailed in Yemen

The state execution of Indian national Nimisha Priya in Yemen has been postponed, according to media reports, providing a huge relief to the Kerala-born nurse. Nimisha has been on death row for several years and her execution was scheduled for Wednesday, July 16. Yemeni authorities have now delayed the execution, without issuing a new date, reports said. Indian officials have notably been in regular touch with the local jail authorities and the prosecutor's office, which helped secure the postponement at the last minute. This comes a day after the government stated it had done everything it could to stop Nimisha's execution.

What is Nimisha's case history?
Nimisha, a 38-year-old nurse from Palakkad district of Kerala, trained as a nurse and moved to Yemen in 2008. After working at several hospitals, Nimisha opened her clinic in partnership with Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mahdi in 2014, as rules there mandate partnering with a local for starting a business. But Nimisha had a fallout with Mahdi, after which she filed a complaint against him. Mahdi, who was arrested but eventually released from jail, continued to threaten her. Nimisha's family says that she had injected Mahdi with sedatives so as to recover her confiscated passport. However, an overdose of the sedatives led to his death. She was arrested while attempting to flee the country and was convicted of murder in 2018. The verdict was upheld by Yemen's Supreme Judicial Council in November 2023.

Is there a way to save Nimisha's life?
Nimisha is currently lodged in a jail in Yemeni capital Sana'a, which is under the control of Houthi rebels. India does not have a diplomatic presence in Yemen and no direct contact with the Houthis, hence the matter is being handled by Indian diplomats at the mission in neighbouring Saudi Arabia. The family of the deceased Yemeni, Mahdi, has been convinced to postpone the execution for now, but Nimisha's future remains uncertain. Officials in India say that giving "blood money" -- a form of monetary compensation for murder -- to Mahdi's family is likely the only option to save Nimisha's life.