Nimisha Priya case: Government denies report her death sentence overturned
What's the story
The death sentence of Indian nurse Nimisha Priya, who was convicted of murder in Yemen, has been overturned, the office of Indian Grand Mufti Kanthapuram AP Abubakker Musliyar announced on Monday. "At high-level meeting held in Sanaa decided to completely cancel the death sentence that was temporarily suspended earlier," stated the Grand Mufti's office." However, government sources have told India Today and TOI that the information shared was "inaccurate."
Case details
Priya's story
Priya, a 37-year-old nurse from Kerala, moved to Yemen for work in 2015. She opened a clinic with local man Talal Abdo Mahdi under his name, as foreigners can't own businesses there. However, Mahdi allegedly abused her and extorted money from the clinic. After seeking help from police but being jailed briefly instead of being protected, Priya attempted to sedate Mahdi to get her passport back.
Legal proceedings
Priya's attempt to sedate Mahdi led to his death
Priya's attempt to sedate Mahdi led to his death due to an overdose, resulting in her arrest and conviction for murder. Her death sentence was initially scheduled for execution on July 16, but was temporarily halted after intervention from the Indian government. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had intervened with Yemen's administration regarding the case.
Report
Victim's family also denies report
After reports surfaced that the death sentence has been suspended, Talal's brother, Abdul Fattah Mahdi, has also dismissed the claims as false. According to The South First, he denied forgiving Priya in a Facebook post and asked which Yemeni organization Kanthapuram had engaged with. Sharing Malayalam media snippets, he added that Islam does not permit leniency for murderers and that Yemen's legal system, which is based on Islamic law, must be upheld.