Mother of Kerala Nurse on Death Row in Yemen Makes Heartfelt Appeal for Aid
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Thiruvananthapuram/New Delhi, Dec 31 (NationPress) The mother of Nimisha Priya, a nurse from Kerala sentenced to death in Yemen for allegedly murdering a Yemeni national, has made a passionate request for help to rescue her daughter’s life.
Prema Kumari, 57, Nimisha’s mother, has been relentlessly advocating for the reversal of the death sentence.
This year, she traveled to Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, in hopes of negotiating the payment of diya (blood money) to the victim's family. Her endeavors have received support from the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, a coalition of non-resident Indian social workers in Yemen.
On Tuesday, Prema Kumari, appearing on Malayalam television from Yemen, emotionally called for immediate assistance.
“I am profoundly thankful to the governments of India and Kerala, as well as the committee formed to assist us, for all the support given so far. But this is my last appeal -- please help us save her life. Time is running out,” she stated, clasping her hands as tears rolled down her cheeks.
Earlier that day, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal released a statement recognizing the case. “We are aware of the sentencing of Nimisha Priya in Yemen. The family is considering relevant options, and the government is providing all possible assistance in this matter,” he noted.
The urgency of this situation intensified after Yemen’s President Rashad al-Alimi sanctioned Nimisha Priya’s death sentence earlier this month. Reports indicate that the execution could occur within a month, prompting her family and advocates to seek a resolution urgently.
Nimisha Priya, hailing from Kollengode in Kerala’s Palakkad district, relocated to Yemen in 2008 to support her economically disadvantaged parents. After gaining experience in multiple hospitals, she established her own clinic. However, in 2017, a conflict with her Yemeni business associate, Talal Abdo Mahdi, allegedly took a tragic turn.
Family narratives assert that Nimisha injected Mahdi with sedatives to reclaim her confiscated passport, but an overdose tragically resulted in his death. She was detained while trying to exit the country and was sentenced for murder in 2018.
In 2020, a trial court in Sanaa condemned her to death. The decision was reaffirmed by Yemen’s Supreme Judicial Council in November 2023, yet it left the door open for avoiding execution through the payment of blood money.
This case has garnered significant attention and raised concerns regarding the safety of Indian nationals abroad, as the family and supporters persist in their efforts to save Nimisha Priya from the death penalty.
