Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya, who is facing a death sentence in the murder case in Yemen, postponed her hanging by Yemeni officials on 16 July 2025. Nimisha is accused of murdering her Yemeni business partner Talal Abdo Mahdi in 2017. Talal’s family said in a statement to BBC Arabic, “We need kisses (punishment in vengeance), nothing.” His brother Abdelfatah Mahdi said that he is not ready to forgive Nimisha and was adamant on death sentence under Sharia Act.
Nimisha’s mother Prema Kumari went to Yemen last year to apologize to Talal’s family and offered Rs 8.9 crore as ‘Diyat’ (blood money), but the family turned down it. India’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Kanthapuram AP Abubakar Musalupar helped to avoid hanging by talking to Yamani scholars. Nimisha’s husband Tommy Thomas said, “We are happy and will continue trying for forgiveness.”
Nimisha claimed that Talal exploited physically and financially, snatched her passport and made a fake documents by calling herself her husband. In 2017, Nimisha gave medicine to make Talal unconscious, but died due to high volume. In 2018, the Yemeni court sentenced him to death, which was upheld by the Supreme Judicial Council in 2023.
The Government of India told the Supreme Court that they talked to the Yemeni officials and the jail administration and extended time, so that Nimisha’s family could compromise with Talal’s family. Social activist Samuel Jerome Basker, who is associated with ‘Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council’, said that only forgiveness can save Nimisha’s life. India’s influence is limited due to Huti control in Yemen, but efforts are on
