Execution of Nurse Nimisha Priya Deferred Till Further Notice

The death sentence was scheduled to be carried out on Wednesday, July 16, 2025.

In a formal communication addressed to the Director of the Central Correctional Facility, authorities conveyed that the postponement was issued based on directions from the Attorney General.

The letter, signed by Judge Sarimuddin Mufaddal of the Specialized Criminal Prosecution and countersigned by Radwan Ahmed Al-Wajra, states that a new date for execution will be announced later.

"We inform you, based on the direction of the Attorney General, of the postponement of the execution of the retaliation sentence against the convict / Nimisha Praya Tomi Thomas (Indian nationality) in Case No. (68) of 2018 AD C.J., which was scheduled to be executed on next Wednesday, July 16, 2025 AD. Accordingly: The date of execution of the death sentence against the convict / Nimisha Praya Tomi Thomas is postponed until you are notified of a new date," the official letter reads.

The communication, which bore the seal of the "Mufti of India," simply informed prison officials to suspend the execution until further notice.

Court Hearing in India

It is to be noted that on July 14, the Supreme Court of India had heard a PIL seeking urgent diplomatic intervention by the Indian government to prevent the execution of Indian nurse Nimisha Priya in Yemen, reportedly scheduled for July 16.

The Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta had acknowledged the sensitivity of the case and agreed to keep the matter pending, listing it for further hearing on July 18.

Senior Advocate Raghenth Basant, appearing for the petitioner (Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council), clarified that the family does not seek state funds or political confrontation but merely embassy-level support to facilitate negotiations for “blood money” as permitted under Yemeni law. He informed the Court that Priya's mother is currently in Yemen, despite travel restrictions, with support arranged through Delhi High Court orders.

Attorney General R. Venkataramani, appointed to assist the Court, informed that while India has no formal diplomatic presence in Sana’a, backchannel efforts are underway. He said the government had even engaged influential local Sheikhs and sought a deferment of the execution from the public prosecutor. He added that while there are informal indications of a possible stay, confirmation is elusive due to the lack of diplomatic channels in the war-torn region.

The Court refrained from issuing any formal orders but agreed with the petitioner's request to keep the matter pending, noting that even symbolic judicial engagement may positively influence local authorities. The hearing will resume on July 18 for an update on developments.

Recently, Kerala Chief Minister (CM) Pinarayi Vijayan had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, seeking urgent intervention to save the life of Nimisha Priya Tomy Thomas, an Indian national facing execution in Yemen. In letters dated March 24 and July 10, the CM flagged media reports indicating that the execution of Nimisha Priya has been scheduled for July 16, 2025, following her conviction by a specialized Court in Sana. The CM stressed that the case deserves "sympathy and intervention at the highest level."

About the PIL

The PIL filed by the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, urging the Union Government to intervene diplomatically and facilitate negotiations to save Indian nurse Nimisha Priya, who is facing execution in Yemen on July 16, 2025.

The petition highlighted how Nimisha was denied a fair trial, coerced into signing confessional documents in Arabic, and left without meaningful legal representation amid Yemen’s ongoing civil war. Her appeals have since been dismissed by Yemen’s higher courts. The only legal remedy now available under Sharia law is to obtain a pardon from the victim’s family by paying “blood money” (Diyah). However, due to India’s travel ban to Yemen and lack of official diplomatic outreach, no negotiations have taken place.

Nimisha Priya, a trained nurse from Kerala, has been sentenced to death in Yemen for the 2017 death of Talal Abdo Mahdi, a Yemeni national. The incident arose after Priya allegedly administered sedatives in a desperate attempt to retrieve her seized passport following years of alleged physical abuse, financial exploitation, and confinement. The attempt went fatally wrong when Mahdi, reportedly a substance abuser died of a drug overdose.