Brother of slain Yemeni businessman renews call for execution of Indian nurse Nimisha Priya

Abdul Fattah Mahdi, the brother of murdered Yemeni businessman Talal Abdo Mahdi, has once again urged authorities in Yemen to carry out the death sentence against Nimisha Priya, the Indian nurse convicted of killing Talal in 2017.

In a Facebook post on Saturday, Abdul Fattah said his family had met with Yemen’s Deputy Attorney General to press for a fixed date for the execution.

He also shared a letter to the Attorney General demanding swift enforcement of the ‘retaliation’ verdict, insisting that justice must not be delayed.

The letter described the killing as a ‘brutal and unprecedented’ crime that horrified the Yemeni public and attracted widespread condemnation. According to court findings, Priya murdered Talal, dismembered his body, placed the remains in bags, and hid them inside a sealed underground water tank.

Abdul Fattah noted that the execution was originally scheduled for 7 June 2025 but was postponed on the Attorney General’s orders.

His family, he said, has repeatedly sought a new date and firmly rejects any possibility of clemency. This marks his third public appeal in recent weeks, following similar letters sent on 25 July and 4 August.

Nimisha Priya, 37, hails from Palakkad, Kerala, and moved to Yemen in 2008 to work as a nurse. She later opened her own medical clinic in Sanaa. In 2017, she was arrested for the murder of her Yemeni business partner Talal Abdo Mahdi, whose body was found hidden in a water tank.

According to reports, Priya allegedly attempted to sedate Talal in a bid to retrieve her passport, which he had withheld. The sedation attempt went wrong, resulting in his death. Yemeni courts sentenced her to death by execution, triggering a years-long legal and humanitarian campaign to save her life.

In a recent emotional video from Yemen, Nimisha’s 13-year-old daughter, Michelle, appealed for help. "I miss my mother. Please help bring her back," she said. Michelle had traveled to Yemen with her father and Action Council members to support efforts for her mother’s release.

With no diplomatic presence in Yemen, India is working via third-party allies to negotiate a solution. One of the remaining legal paths is diya (blood money), which under Islamic law allows families to pardon a convict in exchange for compensation. However, Talal’s family has firmly refused this option so far.