The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has announced that it is extending "all possible help" to Nimisha Priya, an Indian nurse sentenced to death in Yemen for the murder of a Yemeni citizen, Talal Abdo Mahdi. The Yemeni President, Rashad al-Alimi, approved her death sentence on December 30, 2024, and it is expected to be carried out within a month.

In response to media queries regarding the case of Nimisha Priya, MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We are aware of the sentencing of Ms. Nimisha Priya in Yemen. We understand that the family of Ms. Priya is exploring relevant options. The government is extending all possible help in the matter."

Nimisha Priya, who is sentenced to death in Yemen, is a trained nurse and has worked in private hospitals in Yemen for a few years.

Her husband and minor daughter returned to India in 2014 because of financial reasons and in that same year, Yemen was gripped by civil war, and they could not go back as the country stopped issuing new visas.

Later in 2015, Nimisha joined hands with a Mahdi to set up her clinic in Yemen's capital city Sana. She sought Mahdi's support because, under Yemen's law, only nationals are allowed to set up clinics and business firms. In 2015, Mahdi accompanied Nimisha Priya to Kerala when she came for a month-long holiday. During the visit, he stole a wedding photograph of Nimisha, which he later manipulated to claim that he was married to her.

A plea moved by mother of Nimisha Priya had stated, "After a while, Nimisha's clinic began, Mahdi manipulated the ownership documents of the clinic. He also began to take money out of her monthly earnings after telling everyone that Nimisha was his wife Nimisha had alleged that Mahdi had been harassing her and her family for years. Mahdi also seized her passport. This was done to ensure that she would not leave Yemen. He tortured her under the influence of drugs. He threatened her at gunpoint several times. He took all the money from the clinic and her ornaments."

The plea further alleged that unable to cope with the torture, Nimisha complained to the police in Sana but instead of taking action against Mahdi, the police arrested her and put her in jail for six days. It was further alleged that on her return from jail, the severity of the torture increased manifold.

In July 2017, Nimisha took the help of a warden of a jail located near her clinic. The warden suggested that she should try to sedate him, and then convince him to give her passport. However, sedation did not affect Mahdi, who was a substance abuser. She tried sedating him again, using a stronger sedative in order to retrieve her passport but he died within a few minutes due to a drug overdose.

Nimisha Priya was convicted in 2018 after a series of events that began when she allegedly injected Mahdi with sedatives in an attempt to retrieve her passport, which he had seized. This act led to his death due to an overdose. Following the incident, Priya was arrested and later sentenced to death by a Yemeni court. The MEA spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, stated that the Indian government is aware of the situation and is working with Priya's family as they explore legal options.

Her family has been actively seeking a waiver of the death penalty. Priya's mother has been in Yemen negotiating with the victim's family regarding blood money, which could potentially influence the outcome of her case. The situation has garnered significant attention due to the complexities surrounding her conviction and the alleged abuse she faced during her time in Yemen.

ANI