The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) denied reports claiming that Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya’s death sentence in Yemen had been revoked. “Information being shared by certain individuals on the Nimisha Priya case is inaccurate,” MEA officials told a section of the media, leaving no room for ambiguity.
This rebuttal came just a day after a statement from the office of the Grand Mufti of India, Kanthapuram AP Abubakar Musliyar, declared that the Yemeni authorities had “completely cancelled” the death sentence of Nimisha Priya. “The death sentence of Nimisha Priya, which was previously suspended, has been overturned. A high-level meeting held in Sanaa decided to completely cancel the death sentence that was temporarily suspended earlier,” the Grand Mufti’s office claimed, as quoted by a news agency.
Evangelist and Founder of Global Peace Initiative Dr KA Paul claimed in a video message from Sanaa in Yemen that the death sentence has been cancelled following extensive efforts by Yemeni and Indian leaders.
According to reports, Dr Paul thanked Yemeni leaders for their “powerful and prayerful efforts”.
He was quoted as saying, “I want to thank all the leaders that are involved to make this a great success that Nimisha Priya’s death is cancelled. By God’s grace, she will be released and taken to India. I want to thank Prime Minister Modi ji for preparing to send your diplomats… and take Nimisha professionally, safely.”
However, even the Grand Mufti’s office said they had not yet received “official written confirmation from the Yemeni government.” This admission further exposed the premature nature of the celebratory claims.
Nimisha Priya, 38, originally from Palakkad district in Kerala, had travelled to Yemen in 2008 in search of better job opportunities. A qualified nurse, she later entered into a business partnership with a Yemeni national, Talal Abdo Mahdi, with whom she co-ran a clinic in Sanaa.
Their professional relationship reportedly soured when Mahdi began to harass her, falsely claimed to be her husband, and seized her passport—effectively trapping her in Yemen and denying her any route back to India.
In a desperate attempt to recover her documents, Priya reportedly sedated Mahdi in 2017. The plan backfired tragically when Mahdi died of a suspected drug overdose. Priya was arrested and convicted of murder in 2018, and in 2020, a Yemeni court sentenced her to death.
The execution was originally slated for July 16, 2025. It was stopped just one day prior after Grand Mufti Musliyar made a direct appeal to Yemeni authorities, requesting clemency on her behalf.
The case has drawn global attention, especially after Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi in 2024 and Houthi leader Mahdi al-Mashat in early 2025 reportedly approved the execution.
Constant diplomatic pressure from the Indian government and interventions by influential religious figures led to a temporary halt to the sentence.
But contrary to what reports may have indicated, the sentence was never annulled.
Earlier, spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had informed that the MEA has appointed a lawyer to assist Priya’s family in navigating the legal process in Yemen.
He was quoted as saying, “This is a very sensitive matter, and the government of India has been offering all possible assistance in the case. We have provided legal assistance and also appointed a lawyer to assist the family. We have also arranged for regular consular visits by her family and we are also in touch with the local authorities, as well as the family members to resolve this issue. This included concerted efforts in the recent few days to seek more time for the family of Ms Nimisha Priya to reach a mutually agreeable solution with the other party. The local authorities in Yemen have postponed carrying out her sentence that was scheduled for July 16.”
Kirti Vardhan Singh, India’s Minister of State for External Affairs, informed the upper house of parliament that the government gives utmost importance to the welfare of Indians living overseas and extends every possible support to those in distress, including in the present case.
In February, he stated that the Government of India was extending all possible assistance in the case. He noted that any decision regarding the release of Nimisha Priya was a matter between her family and the family of the deceased.
Priya’s mother, Prema Kumari, a domestic labourer from Kerala, reportedly sold her home to fund her daughter’s legal fees. She has been in Yemen for more than one year to facilitate negotiations for her release.
She said she was “grateful for everyone’s support” mentioning that she was happy to see Priya over the course of this year.
Priya’s husband and daughter remain in Kerala, hopeful for her release.
“We lived a normal, happy married life,” her husband, Tomy Thomas, told a media outlet. “My wife was very loving, hardworking and faithful in all that she did. My wife is very good, she is very loving. That is the sole reason I am with her, supporting her and will do so till the end.”
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