Execution of Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya in Yemen postponed, thanks to efforts of Indian officials

New Delhi: The execution of Indian nurse Nimisha Priya, whose execution was set for tomorrow in Houthi-controlled Sanaa, Yemen, on charges of murder, has been postponed -- thanks to the efforts of Indian officials who were in regular touch with the authorities there, sources said.

“In the case of Ms. Nimisha Priya, it has been learnt that the local authorities in Yemen have postponed the execution scheduled for July 16, 2025,” the sources said.

“The Government of India, which has since the beginning of the case, been rendering all possible assistance in the matter, has made concerted efforts in recent days to seek more time for the family of Nimisha Priya to reach a mutually agreeable solution with the other party.

“Despite the sensitivities involved, Indian officials have been in regular touch with the local jail authorities and the prosecutor’s office, leading to securing this postponement,” the sources added.

The 37-year-old nurse from Kerala had been convicted for the murder of a Yemeni national.

As part of efforts to save her, her legal counsel is reported to have offered nearly Rs 8.5 crore ($1 million) as blood money, reports said.

Nimisha Priya, who hails from Kerala’s Palakkad district, moved to Yemen in 2011 after completing her nursing training programme. She was arrested for allegedly murdering her business partner, Talal Abdo Mahdi, in 2017.

Three years later, a Yemeni court, in 2020, sentenced her to death in the case.