In a significant development, Nimisha Priya—a 37-year-old nurse from Kerala on death row in Yemen—has had her death sentence officially annulled. The news was confirmed in a statement by the office of Indian Grand Mufti Kanthapuram AP Abubakker Musliyar, following a high-level meeting in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa.
“The death sentence, which had been temporarily suspended, has now been completely withdrawn,” the Grand Mufti’s office said. This marks a pivotal moment in Nimisha’s years-long legal and humanitarian battle abroad.
Nimisha moved to Yemen in 2015 and partnered with a local man, Talal Abdo Mahdi, to establish a clinic—since foreign nationals are legally barred from owning businesses directly. However, what began as a business agreement allegedly turned exploitative. Mahdi reportedly manipulated a photo from an Indian trip to falsely claim marital ties with Nimisha, took over her clinic, and began extorting her earnings.
According to her family, she endured sustained abuse, including physical violence, drugging, and the illegal seizure of her passport, effectively trapping her in Yemen. Despite seeking police help, Nimisha was briefly imprisoned and received no protection.
In a desperate attempt to escape, she allegedly tried to sedate Mahdi to recover her passport. However, the use of a stronger sedative proved fatal, leading to Mahdi’s death and Nimisha’s subsequent arrest and conviction for murder.
Her death sentence had been under suspension for some time. With its formal cancellation now confirmed, renewed hope emerges for her eventual repatriation.