Kerala Nurse’s Execution Paused: Yemen Victim’s Family Says ‘No Pardon’ Despite Blood Money Talks
Nimisha Priya was scheduled to be executed on Wednesday, but after prolonged and multi-faceted negotiations, her execution has been put on hold.
Brother Demands No Pardon
Abdelfattah Mehdi, the brother of Talal Abdo Mehdi — who was allegedly murdered by Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya in 2017 — has declared that there can be no pardon for the crime.
He insisted that Nimisha Priya must be executed and strongly criticised the Indian media for “distorting facts to portray the convicted as a victim.”
Execution Temporarily Suspended
Nimisha Priya was originally scheduled to be executed on Wednesday, but after prolonged and multi-layered negotiations, her execution has been put on hold for now.
Multiple Efforts to Save Nimisha
Several efforts from different quarters — including the Indian government, agencies based in Saudi Arabia, and religious intervention by Grand Mufti Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar — played a crucial role in securing this temporary reprieve. Musliyar reportedly reached out to a friend in Yemen’s Shoora Council to help mediate.
Political Leaders Step In
On Wednesday morning, State CPI(M) secretary M.V. Govindan met Musliyar to discuss the situation and confirmed that negotiations are still underway.
“Musliyar informed me that the execution has been kept in abeyance and that there are more aspects being discussed. People are engaged in talks with authorities in Yemen and with the family, who must grant the pardon,” Govindan said.
Family Holds the Key
At present, the biggest relief for Priya’s supporters is that the execution has been postponed indefinitely. However, the main challenge now is to persuade the victim’s family to grant clemency — only they can accept ‘blood money’ as compensation under Sharia law.
Next Stage: Blood Money Talks
The next phase of the negotiations will centre on arranging the ‘blood money’ — monetary compensation offered to the victim’s family in exchange for forgiveness.
Kerala billionaire M.A. Yusuf Ali has already expressed willingness to contribute financially if needed to save Priya.
Government’s Role Vital
The Indian government’s efforts have been crucial so far, and all eyes are now on how the talks progress in the coming days.
How Nimisha Landed in This Situation
Nimisha Priya has been in a Yemeni prison since her conviction for allegedly murdering her former business partner in 2017.
She moved to Yemen in 2008 to support her family, initially working as a nurse before opening her own clinic. In 2017, following a dispute with Mehdi — who had allegedly confiscated her passport — she reportedly administered sedatives to him in an attempt to retrieve it. The sedatives proved fatal.
Priya was arrested while trying to flee the country and was convicted of murder in 2018. A death sentence was handed down in 2020 and upheld by Yemen’s Supreme Judicial Council in November 2023, although the court allowed for the possibility of clemency through a blood money settlement.
