Will Kerala Nurse Accused of Murder Face Execution on July 16?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Nimisha Priya faces execution on July 16.
- Convicted of murdering Yemeni citizen Talal Abdo Mehdi.
- Family is negotiating for blood money to avert execution.
- Case raises concerns for Indian nationals abroad.
- Mother is actively campaigning for clemency.
New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram, July 9 (NationPress) Nimisha Priya, a nurse from Kerala, has been found guilty of murdering Talal Abdo Mehdi, a Yemeni citizen, and is scheduled for execution on July 16.
Priya has spent the past three years in a Yemeni prison.
As per negotiator S.J. Bhaskaran, following the announcement of the execution, he plans to travel to Yemen.
Priya’s husband, Tomy Thomas, along with their daughter, are hopeful of persuading Mehdi’s family to settle the matter by offering blood money.
However, Mehdi’s family has yet to respond favorably to the blood money proposal.
Nimisha Priya, hailing from Kollengode in Palakkad district, moved to Yemen in 2008 to support her parents, who earned daily wages. After working in several hospitals, she eventually established her own clinic.
In 2017, a conflict with her Yemeni business partner, Mehdi, took a tragic turn.
The family alleges that Priya administered sedatives to Mehdi to retrieve her confiscated passport, but an overdose tragically resulted in his death.
She was apprehended while attempting to leave Yemen and was convicted of murder in 2018.
A Yemeni trial court sentenced her to death in 2020.
This verdict was reaffirmed by Yemen's Supreme Judicial Council in November 2023, although it left the door open for avoiding execution through the payment of blood money.
The case has sparked significant attention and raised alarms regarding the circumstances of Indian nationals abroad, as family and supporters strive to prevent Priya's execution.
Priya’s mother, Prema Kumari (57), has been actively advocating for the cancellation of the death sentence. She has also traveled to Sanaa to negotiate with the victim's family regarding the blood money.
Her efforts are bolstered by the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, comprised of NRI social workers based in Yemen.