Jobaaj Stories
India has promised to help Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya, who is facing the death penalty in Yemen. Priya has been in jail since 2017, accused of killing a Yemeni man named Talal Abdo Mahdi. The Yemeni President, Rashad al-Alimi, recently approved her death sentence, and reports say the execution may take place within a month. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has expressed concern and said they are exploring all options to help Priya.
Priya, a trained nurse, was found guilty of killing Mahdi after trying to get back her passport, which he had taken. Priya had worked with Mahdi for years in Yemen, where foreign workers need a local partner. She claims that Mahdi had been harassing her for a long time, even forging documents to claim he was her husband. Priya said that Mahdi tortured and extorted money from her. In July 2017, after years of abuse, she tried to sedate Mahdi to take her passport back. Unfortunately, the sedative caused his death.
Priya was sentenced to death by a Yemeni court in 2018. Her appeal to Yemen's Supreme Court in 2023 was denied. Now, her last chance to avoid execution depends on whether Mahdi's family and local tribal leaders will forgive her. Priya’s family, especially her mother, Prema Kumari, has been working hard to save her life. Kumari traveled to Yemen last year to negotiate a traditional practice called "blood money," which might have reduced the sentence. However, the negotiations faced problems when the lawyer hired by the Indian Embassy demanded high fees, causing delays.
Priya's family and supporters are still trying to find a solution, hoping to save her from execution.
