Nimisha Priya case: Talal's brother appeals to judiciary to fix new date for execution

Abdul Fattah Mahdi, brother of slain Yemeni businessman Talal Abdo Mahdi, has reiterated his demand for the execution of Indian nurse Nimisha Priya, who was convicted of murdering Talal in 2017. In a formal letter on Sunday, addressed to Yemen’s Attorney General, Judge Abdul Salam Al-Houthi, Abdul Fattah requested the immediate implementation of the death sentence, which had originally been scheduled for July 16 but was postponed.

The letter expresses the family's firm refusal to accept any reconciliation or pardon, stating, “We categorically reject all attempts at reconciliation.” He noted that more than half a month has passed since the postponement, yet no new date has been announced. “We affirm our full adherence to our legitimate right to implement the retaliation sentence,” the letter states.

Abdul Fattah previously sent a similar letter on July 25 demanding a new execution date. He criticised Indian media for suggesting a possible pardon deal, calling such reports misleading. “Talal’s blood will not be a commodity in the negotiation bazaar,” he wrote. He had also questioned Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar’s statement on possible progress through mediation, denying any family agreement.

Nimisha Priya, a native of Palakkad, Kerala, was sentenced to death in 2020 by a Yemeni court for killing her business partner, Talal and hiding his body in a water tank. Her execution was delayed following mediation efforts by Indian religious leaders and Yemeni scholars. Priya remains jailed in Houthi-controlled northern Yemen. Meanwhile, her supporters in India continue efforts to raise diya (blood money) to seek clemency through legal channels.