Nimisha Priya has been imprisoned in Yemen since 2017, convicted of murdering Yemeni citizen Talal Abdo Mahdi by allegedly administering a drug overdose. Nimisha and Mahdi were partners in a private clinic in Yemen.

It has been alleged that Mahdi seized Nimisha’s passport and subjected her to abuse. Despite various diplomatic efforts to save her from the death penalty, all attempts failed.

In Yemen, executions are primarily carried out by firing squad. Though methods such as stoning, hanging, and beheading are legally permissible, they are rarely used. Before execution, the convict is laid face-down on a carpet or blanket. In some cases, flogging is done prior to execution.

Timeline of Events:

• 2008: Nimisha Priya, a 19-year-old from Palakkad, Kerala, traveled to Yemen for work. She got a job as a nurse at a government hospital in the capital, Sana’a.
• 2011: Nimisha returned to India to get married. She wed Kochi resident Tomy Thomas. The couple moved back to Yemen, where Thomas worked as an electrician assistant, but his salary was very low.
• 2012: Nimisha gave birth to a daughter named Misal, but the family struggled financially in Yemen.
• 2014: Thomas returned to Kochi, India, with their daughter and began driving an e-rickshaw. Nimisha decided to quit her low-paying job and open a clinic. Yemeni law, however, required her to find a local partner.
• Around this time, Nimisha met Talal Mahdi, who ran a clothing shop. She had previously helped Mahdi’s wife during childbirth.
• January 2015: Nimisha traveled to India to visit her daughter. Mahdi accompanied her and allegedly stole her wedding photos. He later doctored the images to claim he was Nimisha’s husband.
• Nimisha raised approximately INR 5 million from her family and friends to start her clinic in Yemen.
• She began the paperwork to bring her husband and daughter to Yemen, but in March, civil war broke out, preventing their travel.

About Talal Abdo Mahdi:

When the civil war escalated, India launched “Operation Rahat” in April-May 2015 to evacuate its citizens. Around 4,600 Indians and 1,000 foreign nationals were evacuated from Yemen — but tragically, Nimisha was not among them.

In 2016, Mahdi reportedly began physically abusing Nimisha and took control of the clinic’s profits. When Nimisha confronted him, their relationship deteriorated. Mahdi allegedly withheld her passport to prevent her from leaving the country.

Nimisha filed a police complaint against Mahdi. However, Mahdi showed the doctored photos and claimed to be her husband. As a result, police detained Nimisha for six days instead.

Mahdi’s Death Due to Overdose:

Emotionally distressed, Nimisha attempted to retrieve her passport from Mahdi. In July 2017, she injected him with a sedative, which failed. She then administered an overdose, leading to Mahdi’s death.

According to media reports, she allegedly dismembered his body and disposed of it in a water tank. She was subsequently arrested by Yemeni authorities.

Yemen’s Supreme Judicial Council sentenced her to death for the murder. She appealed for clemency to the Supreme Court of Yemen, but her petition was rejected in June 2023. The President of Yemen, Rashad al-Alimi, also approved the execution.