Yemen’s President Rashad al-Alimi has approved the death sentence of Indian-origin nurse Nimisha Priya, who was convicted of murdering a Yemeni national.
According to reports, the Indian national might be executed within a month. The Kerala-born nurse has been languishing in a Yemeni jail since 2017.
Nimisha Priya, who was working in Yemen for several years, reportedly killed Talal Abdo Mahdi when she tried to retrieve her passport that was seized by him.
She injected him with a sedative, intending to incapacitate him temporarily and take back the passport, but the dose proved fatal, causing his death from an overdose, Hindustan Times reported.
Indian government extends all possible help to Nimisha Priya
The Ministry of External Affairs has said it is extending all possible help to Nimisha Priya.
In a statement, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: “We are aware of the sentencing of Nimisha Priya in Yemen. We understand that the family of Priya is exploring relevant options. The government is extending all possible help in the matter,” the Indian official said.
A Yemeni court sentenced her to death in 2018. She appealed to the Yemeni Supreme Court but it was rejected in 2023. The Indian-origin nurse’s family was left shocked after the president’s decision.
Nimisha Priya’s mother, Prema Kumari, is trying to save her daughter for several years. She even travelled to Yemen in her bid to overturn her daughter’s death penalty.
“We worked tirelessly to save Nimisha Priya’s life, but our efforts ended in vain. We managed to collect 40,000 dollars (around INR 3,420,000), and were prepared to raise even more to save her. Along with the action council, the chief minister, the leader of opposition, former Union minister and various leaders across political lines joined hands in this effort,” Nenmara MLA K Babu told The New Indian Express.
Nimisha Priya reportedly left for Yemen in 2008. After working in a few hospitals, she decided to open her own clinic in 2017.
She had a fallout with her local partner Talal Abdo Mahdi in 2017. As per her family, she opposed his alleged attempts to embezzle funds.
