Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 27 (IANS) — Efforts to secure the release of Nimisha Priya, the Kerala nurse facing a death sentence in Yemen, have gathered fresh momentum with active discussions underway in the Gulf region.
According to MLA Chandy Oommen, negotiations are progressing in the UAE and Qatar, led by expatriate businessmen with connections in Yemen. “There is reason to expect positive news in the coming days,” Oommen said, clarifying that these talks complement — not replace — the ongoing mediation spearheaded by the Kanthapuram group.
Oommen, son of the late two-time Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, has been closely following the case and has approached Kerala Governor Rajendra V. Arlekar three times, urging him to take up the matter with the Centre.
Nimisha, a native of Palakkad, was convicted in 2020 for the 2017 murder of her Yemeni business partner, Talal Abdo Mahdi. Reports suggest she acted under severe duress following months of physical and psychological abuse, ultimately administering a lethal drug overdose.
Her case drew widespread attention when Yemeni authorities scheduled her execution for July 16, 2025. A last-minute stay was secured through sustained interventions, particularly by Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar, Kerala’s Muslim scholar and Grand Mufti of India. His outreach to leading Yemeni cleric Shaikh Habeeb Ummer has been pivotal in opening channels of dialogue.
Jawad Mustafawy, a close aide of Kanthapuram and a scholar of Islamic philosophy trained in Yemen, said their mission’s sole objective is Nimisha’s release.
Diplomatic and humanitarian initiatives are now focused on persuading the victim’s family, who hold the ultimate authority under Yemen’s legal framework. Reports indicate a Yemeni delegation, including women, has approached the bereaved family to explore reconciliation and compensation possibilities.
With parallel efforts from Gulf intermediaries and religious leaders gaining traction, there is growing hope that Nimisha may not only be spared the death penalty but could also eventually return to Kerala.
