Nimisha Priya Death Sentence in Yemen Update: MEA sources quash Grand Mufti’s claims that..., victim’s brother wants...

There is still some ambiguity around the status of Indian nurse Nimisha Priya's death sentence in Yemen. On July 28, initial reports suggested that her death sentence had been overturned with the office of Grand Mufti Abu Bakar Musliyar even claiming that Nimisha’s death penalty had been officially cancelled, indicating she would not face execution in Yemen.

However, shortly after, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) contradicted this claim. Sources from the ministry clarified that the information being shared by some parties regarding Nimisha's status was inaccurate and that Grand Mufti Abu Bakar is merely acting as a mediator in the case.

This conflicting information has reignited uncertainty around Nimisha’s fate. It’s unclear whether she will be released or if the previous legal status—death sentence—still stands. Meanwhile, Nimisha’s husband and daughter have arrived in Yemen, hoping for her release.

What is the victim's family demanding?

Meanwhile, amid these developments, brother of the murder victim Abdul Fattah Mahdi has publicly demanded immediate execution for Nimisha Priya. She has been convicted of killing his brother, Talal Abdo Mahdi, by a Yemeni court.

In a social media post, Abdul Fattah shared a letter addressed to the Yemeni Attorney General, where he insisted that his family is demanding the immediate enforcement of the death penalty. According to the English-language website Onmanorama, he strongly urged authorities not to delay the implementation.

He also refuted claims made by Grand Mufti Abu Bakar’s office, which stated that a meeting had taken place between northern Yemeni authorities, an international delegation, and Islamic scholars appointed by Sheikh Habib Umar bin Hafiz to discuss the cancellation of Nimisha’s sentence.

In his letter dated July 25, Abdul Fattah asserted that the Supreme Political Council of Yemen has already given final approval for Nimisha’s execution. "This decision has now attained the status of a final and binding order," the letter stated, "and it must be implemented without delay by all concerned authorities."

Sentence was previously postponed

Nimisha’s execution was originally scheduled for July 16, but was postponed indefinitely due to intervention efforts by Indian religious leaders.

Abdul Fattah condemned this delay, saying his family had firmly rejected all reconciliation and mediation attempts, as the crime had "crossed all limits."

What did Grand Mufti Abu Bakar Musliyar claim?

Despite these objections, Grand Mufti Abu Bakar Musliyar, aged 94, has continued his efforts to save Nimisha. His office released a statement claiming that the suspended death sentence had now been fully revoked after a high-level meeting in Sana’a.

Daughter Makes Emotional Appeal from Yemen
Meanwhile, Nimisha’s 13-year-old daughter Michelle, along with her father, has arrived in Sana’a hoping for her release. In an emotional plea, the girl said: “I miss you, Mom. I love you so much. Please help bring my mother back home. I just want to see her again.”

Who is Nimisha Priya?

Nimisha Priya was raised in Kerala in a family of daily wage workers. She was trained as a nurse and in 2008 sought better opportunities in Yemen. Over the years, she practiced medicine in several hospitals, and in 2014, she opened her own clinic in partnership with Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mahdi - something that foreign nationals were required to do to start working in the business in Yemen. Nimisha and Mahdi soon had tensions, and after major disputes, Nimisha was said to lodge a complaint against Mahdi, leading him to be jailed temporarily before being released.

Nimisha's family claimed that Mahdi had taken her passport and had continued to intimidate her. To get her documents back, Nimisha had allegedly put a sedative into him, but it was enough to lead to his death from overdose. She was arrested in 2018 in an attempt to escape Yemen after the incident, and she was later convicted of murder, which under Yemeni law is punishable by death. 

With ANI inputs