नवीनतम
Nimisha Priya's death sentence in Yemen cancelled
NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The death sentence of Nimisha Priya, an Indian national imprisoned in Yemen was 'overturned', claimed the office of the Indian 'Grand Mufti', ANI reported on Tuesday.
However, Abdul Fattah Mahdi, the brother of the person Nimisha is accused of killing, has refuted any such development. Fattah, in a post on social media, stated that the statement made by the office of 'Grand Mufti' Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar (a Kerala-based Islamic leader) that an agreement has been reached to cancel the execution was "completely false".
In their statement, Aboobacker Musliyar's office, according to ANI, said: "The death sentence of Nimisha Priya, which was previously suspended, has been overturned. A high-level meeting held in Sanaa decided to completely cancel the death sentence that was temporarily suspended earlier."
Priya, 37, was scheduled to be executed on July 16, after she was convicted of killing Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mahdi in June 2018, a decision that was upheld by the country's Supreme Judicial Council in November 2023. However, her execution was postponed, following "concerted efforts" by Indian 'Grand Mufti' and the Government of India.
According to Fattah, the news that a truce has been made "without their permission is a lie". Fatah demanded that Musliyar should clarify who contacted them and who was behind "such a false campaign".
In addition, he called for them to connect with each other through a live broadcast on any TV channel to clear the "lies and falsehoods". "Islam is free from all interpretations that are used to show mercy to a murderer who has become inhuman and violated all the sanctities of religion, reason and conscience, and that religion should not be used as a cover to hide the cruelty of the crime," Fattah said in his post on Facebook.
He recalled that the Yemeni constitution and judicial system are based on Islamic Sharia, and that there should be "no compromise on the court rulings issued against the murderer". Fattah Mahdi stressed that it is obligatory to "respect the relatives of the martyrs and their suffering, and to respect their right to implement the law of Allah".
Musliyar's office was yet to respond to Fattah claims. This article would be updated if and when they do.
Earlier on July 17, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that it was actively working to support Nimisha Priya and was extending all possible assistance in the case. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, during a press briefing, stated that the MEA had appointed a lawyer to assist Priya's family in navigating the complex legal process in Yemen. This includes exploring options for clemency or pardon under Sharia law.
Nimisha Priya 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 Yemeni citizen, Talal Abdo Mahdi, to set up her clinic in Sanaa.
As per Yemeni laws, foreigners are not allowed to run businesses independently, so Priya’s association with Mahdi became a legal necessity. However, the partnership turned abusive over time.
Mahdi allegedly misused a wedding photograph taken during a trip to India to falsely claim marriage with Priya, following which he took control of the clinic and began siphoning off her income.
According to her family, Mahdi also subjected her to months of physical abuse, drug-induced assaults, and withheld her passport, effectively trapping her in the country. In desperation, Priya is believed to have attempted to retrieve her passport by sedating Mahdi. But when a higher dose of the sedative was used, Mahdi died from an overdose. The incident led to Priya’s arrest and her subsequent conviction for murder.
