With only two days left before the execution of Nimisha Priya, a nurse from Kerala who is on death row in Yemen, efforts to save her life have intensified.
Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar, the Grand Mufti of India and a respected Sunni religious leader, has personally appealed to a well-known Yemeni Islamic scholar, Habib Umar bin Hafiz, asking him to intervene in Nimisha’s case. Their strong relationship has given hope to her supporters. Habib Umar visits Kanthapuram regularly, and they have already spoken twice about the issue. He has also spoken with the brother of the Yemeni man who was killed.
Nimisha Priya, 36, was convicted of murdering her Yemeni business partner, Talal Abdo Mahdi, in 2017 and is scheduled to be executed on Wednesday.
On Monday, India’s attorney-general R. Venkataramani told the Supreme Court that the Indian government had limited options in this case due to its sensitive nature. However, Nimisha’s family is not giving up.
Her husband, Tomy Thomas, said, “I understand the central government has its limitations, but I personally gave a letter to Home Minister Amit Shah when he visited Thiruvananthapuram. No one has checked on how our daughter and I are living.”
He added, “I’m doing whatever work I can—driving an auto, tapping rubber, supervising jobs. I can’t sleep. Still, I remain hopeful. I’m waiting for a miracle to bring Nimisha back to Kerala.”
The couple’s 11-year-old daughter, who was born in Yemen, is currently staying in a Christian-run educational institution in Idukki, Kerala.
Alongside international campaigns led by the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, local leaders have also raised their voices. Kerala MLA Chandy Oommen, son of former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, has taken the matter up with the governor and religious leaders.K.K. Shameem from Markazu Saqafathi Sunniyya, a Kozhikode-based charitable and academic organization, said, “We are hoping for a positive outcome. The Yemeni Supreme Court judges have also been approached for help.”
Now, with time running out, all eyes are on the efforts of religious leaders and activists to secure a last-minute reprieve for Nimisha.
