Kerala nurse on death row in Yemen: Supreme Court to hear urgent plea

The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear an urgent petition seeking the Indian government’s diplomatic intervention to save Nimisha Priya, a Kerala-born nurse facing execution in Yemen on July 16 over murder charges.

A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi listed the matter for hearing on July 14, after advocate Subhash Chandran KR stressed the need for immediate action through diplomatic and humanitarian channels. He suggested the possibility of paying blood money (diyah) — permitted under Sharia law — to the victim’s family, which could result in a pardon.

The plea refers to a media report stating that Yemen's Houthi-controlled administration has scheduled Priya's execution for July 16.

Who is Nimisha Priya?

Born to daily wage labourers in Kerala, 34-year-old Nimisha moved to Yemen in 2008 to work as a nurse. After marrying Tomy Thomas, she settled in Sana’a, where the couple had a daughter. In 2014, financial struggles led her husband and daughter to return to India while she stayed back to open her own clinic.

The case against her

To legally operate in Yemen, Nimisha needed a local sponsor and partnered with Talal Abdo Mahdi, a Yemeni national. She later alleged that he forged documents claiming to be her husband, confiscated her passport, and abused her.

In 2017, she attempted to retrieve her passport by sedating Talal. The plan went tragically wrong — he died from an overdose. In panic, she tried to dispose of the body but was caught and arrested near the Saudi border.

Trial and death sentence

Nimisha was sentenced to death in 2020 by a Yemeni court. The verdict was upheld by the Supreme Judicial Council in 2023 and ratified by Yemen’s President Rashad Al Alimi in 2024, confirming the execution date as July 16, 2025. 

Challenges to Indian intervention

India does not have formal diplomatic ties with the Houthi-led administration controlling Sana’a, limiting official intervention. The Ministry of External Affairs has said it is closely monitoring the case and supporting the family through informal channels.

Efforts to save her

Under Sharia law, a death sentence can be revoked if the victim’s family accepts blood money (diyah). Nimisha’s family, along with the Save Nimisha Priya Action ^Council, has raised $1 million (around ₹8.5 crore) as compensation. However, Talal’s family has yet to respond.

Her mother, Premakumari, traveled to Yemen in 2023 to seek a pardon and continues efforts through legal and humanitarian backchannels. The family remains in deep debt — over ₹60 lakh — and continues to plead for public and governmental support. 

Is there still hope?

Yes, but time is critically short. If the victim’s family accepts the diyah and grants a pardon before July 16, Nimisha Priya’s life can be spared. For now, everything depends on their response.