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Yemen family breaks silence as Nimisha Priya's execution postponed after intervention by ‘Grand Mufti’ | Key updates
The brother of the Yemeni national who was allegedly killed by Nimisha Priya has opposed any pardon to the Kerala nurse in the case.
The family of Talal Abdo Mahdi, who was allegedly killed by Nimisha Priya in 2017, has broken its silence after the Kerala-based nurse's execution was postponed.
The Yemeni national's brother Abdelfattah Mahdi has opposed to any reconciliation, or pardon to the Kerala nurse in the case.
This has yet again cast doubts on how the case would proceed further, as the best bet to save Nimisha Priya would have been a pardon from Mahdi's family under the 'blood money' provision of Yemen's Sharia law.
Here are key developments in Nimisha Priya's case:
Temporary relief to Nimisha Priya
Just as Nimisha Priya and her family were beginning to lose hope, her execution was postponed on July 15, one day before it was scheduled.
While there is no official confirmation on what led to the move, a Muslim scholar, also known as the 'Grand Mufti of India', is being credited for leading negotiations that brought some relief for Nimisha and her family.
Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar, a Sunni leader from India, reportedly facilitated negotiations in Yemen with help from a Sufi scholar there. The scholar's representatives reportedly met those representing Mahdi's family for discussions on stopping Nimisha's execution.
The Grand Mufti said that a request was made to accept 'Diyaat', a compensation to the victim's family by Nimisha's. "In Islam, instead of killing, there is also a practice of giving Diya (compensation). I requested them to accept Diyaat as the party is ready here for it. There are talks going on about whether my request has to be accepted," the Grand Mufti was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Besides, the Indian government was also reportedly in touch with people in Yemen on a private level to secure additional time for Priya's family to reach a "mutually agreeable" resolution with the other party.
What did Yemen victim's family say?
A day after Nimisha's execution was postponed, Talal Abdo Mahdi's brother Abdelfattah made a post on Facebook, reiterating a demand for her execution.
In the Facebook post, originally written in Arabic, Abdelfattah Mahdi asserted that the family would not give in to any pressures to reconcile and stands firm on the demand for retribution.
“What is achieved and heard today from mediation and attempts for peace is nothing new or surprising. Throughout our years, there have been hidden pursuits and efforts to mediate. This is normal and expected...But the pressure has not changed anything in us. Our demand is retribution, nothing else,” Mahdi said in the post, verified by Hindustan Times.
Nimisha Priya, who moved to Yemen for her professional endeveaours, partnered with Talal Abdo Mahdi in 2014 for opening a clinic. However, she was allegedly physically abused and threatened by him. In 2017, attempting to get her passport back from him so she could flee Yemen, Nimisha sedated Mahdi, but the dose proved fatal and he died.
Three years later, Nimisha was sentenced to death, and in 2023, the order was upheld. July 16 was fixed as the date she would be executed, but the Kerala nurse has temporarily been saved.
What next for Nimisha Priya?
While the execution being deferred came as a big win for Nimisha, her family and the negotiators involved, the end goal to permanently save her and bring her back to India still remains.
With Talal Abdo Mahdi's family standing firm on their demand for her execution, doubts have yet again emerged on whether Nimisha would be pardoned.
