Nimisha Priya Nimisha Priya

On December 3, 2020, at 10:30 AM IST, I received Nimisha Priya’s final message: "Time is over, Bye." She sent it from the Central Prison at Giraffe Road in Sana’a, Northern Yemen. In jail, she had limited access to a mobile phone, only once or twice a week. When I inquired about updates on the negotiations for her release, she said she knew very little, as information rarely reached her. As a woman facing execution, Nimisha Priya was gripped by fear and distrust, speaking sparingly to those who contacted her by phone. 

In 2021, 2022, and 2023, I sent several messages on WhatsApp, but none received a reply. I couldn’t be sure if she even saw them. Later, I learnt through sources in Yemen that mobile phone access for prisoners had been further restricted. That message from 2020 was the last communication I ever had with Nimisha Priya. 

Eventually, I spoke to her mother, Prema Kumari, and husband, Tomy Thomas, who shared her story. From conversations with her family and a few others involved in her case, I was able to piece together Nimisha Priya’s journey. 

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Nimisha Priya, a Malayali nurse, was sentenced to capital punishment in Yemen for allegedly murdering a Yemeni citizen, Talal Abdo Mahdi, in 2017. She was accused of killing him, dismembering his body, and disposing of the remains in a water tank. A Yemeni nurse, said to be her friend, was implicated as an accomplice and sentenced to life imprisonment for allegedly aiding the crime. 

Hailing from an economically disadvantaged family in Kerala, Nimisha Priya migrated to Yemen in 2011. Her husband, Tomy, worked as an auto-rickshaw driver, and her mother, Prema, was a domestic worker. Initially, in 2013, she lived in Yemen with Tomy, who was employed as an unskilled labourer, and their one-year-old child. Nimisha Priya worked at a clinic owned by a Yemeni national but aspired to establish her own clinic. Facing financial constraints, Tomy returned to Kerala with their child to manage expenses. 

In 2014, Nimisha Priya met Talal, who offered to support her dream of opening a clinic. He even travelled to Kerala and was hosted by her family. She successfully set up her clinic with the help of someone and informed Talal that his support was no longer required. However, according to her family, Talal began demanding financial benefits from the clinic and started harassing her. 

Tomy had planned to return to Yemen, but the outbreak of the civil war disrupted their plans. Yemen ceased issuing new visas to foreign nationals, preventing Tomy and their child from reuniting with Nimisha Priya. The family alleges that during this time, Talal’s harassment escalated, leaving her in an unbearable situation. He exploited her inability to understand the local language by fabricating false documents that falsely showed they were married. Additionally, he forged papers claiming ownership of her clinic. He kept all her certificates and her passport in his possession. All her efforts to get her passport and certificates back from his custody failed. He made everyone in the locality believe that both of them were married. She was subjected to physical torture and sexual assault as well. He used to bring his friends, who also tried to abuse her. Nimisha Priya raised complaints many times at the local police station. He was arrested and released a few times, but he continued torturing her. A desperate Nimisha Priya wanted to run away, but she could not, as her entire documents were confiscated by him. 

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Talal was killed in July 2017. Nimisha Priya claims that she sedated him for taking her documents. The sedation went into overdose, and he passed away. Nimisha Priya and her friend decided to conceal the body. Chopped into pieces, they put the corpse in a water tank. She was caught on the border while on her way to escape. 

This is her version of the story. 

The Political Turmoil

The political situation in Sana’a, Yemen, has been turbulent since the onset of the civil war in 2014, a conflict that has its roots in the broader Arab Spring protests of 2011, which led to the ousting of long-time President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Following his departure, Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi was elected president, but his government faced significant challenges, including economic instability and widespread dissatisfaction due to austerity measures such as the removal of fuel subsidies. This discontent fuelled protests that were particularly strong among the Houthi movement, a group that had been allegedly marginalised in the political transition process. 

In September 2014, the Houthis capitalised on this unrest and launched a military campaign that resulted in their swift takeover of Sana’a. Within days, they had effectively seized control of the capital, forcing Hadi to flee to Saudi Arabia. The situation escalated as the Houthis dissolved parliament and established a Revolutionary Committee to govern, which is viewed as a coup d'état.

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The conflict soon drew in regional powers, with Saudi Arabia leading a coalition that began airstrikes against Houthi positions in March 2015, aiming to restore Hadi's government. This intervention marked the beginning of a devastating conflict characterised by widespread humanitarian crisis, including famine and disease outbreaks. The war has created a fragmented political landscape in Yemen, with various factions vying for control. The Houthis maintained their grip on Sana’a and much of northern Yemen. 

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Sana’a remains under Houthi control, which has largely cut off diplomatic relations with most foreign nations. This lack of formal ties between the Houthi government and the international community poses a significant obstacle to negotiations for the release of Nimisha Priya, according to experts in international relations. "Iran is the only country maintaining some level of relations with this government, and pursuing negotiations through them might yield results," says a human rights activist based in the UAE. 

A letter issued by the Embassy of the Republic of Yemen in New Delhi on 6 January declined the recent news reports that Nimisha Priya’s execution was ratified by the President. As the entire case was handled by the Houthi militants, Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi, the chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, has not ratified the judgement (of execution). 

It is pertinent to see that even the government of Yemen has no ties with Houthi militants who are in control of Sana’a. 

Action Council

The ‘Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council’ was established in 2020 following news of her conviction and impending execution. The Action Council formed a WhatsApp group, primarily including Malayali individuals from various countries.

The committee claims to have been involved in negotiations for Nimisha Priya’s release with individuals connected to the family of the deceased. However, these efforts have not yielded any results so far. “Initially, the group raised 4,000 USD and handed it over. Later, another 20,000 USD was also handed over. But we were not informed of the progress in the negotiations or the details of the expenditure. As a result, a few of us took the position that no further money should be given. However, without our consent and knowledge, a few individuals within the committee handed over another 20,000 USD,” says Advocate Subhash Chandran, a Supreme Court lawyer and a member of the 20-member core committee.

The treasurer of the committee, Kunhammad Koorachund, a former member of Loka Kerala Sabha, claims the money was transferred to the embassy without clarity on how it was utilized. “A few of us insisted that no further money should be transferred unless the committee provides details of the expenditure for the 20,000 USD already sent. However, without our knowledge and consent, another 20,000 USD was transferred on December 27, 2024,” he says. 

Some core committee members said they are unaware of whether Talal's family has agreed to accept blood money. Kunjahammad Koorachund stated that the crowdfunded money, totalling 40,000 USD, was transferred to the embassy. “I have no idea what happened after that. We were not informed who in the embassy is handling it,” he says. 

The 40,000 USD was transferred as a ‘pre-negotiation expense’ according to the members of the committee. The committee also claims that the negotiation is being done through a lawyer, who is a Yemeni national appointed by the Indian Embassy. However, many of the core committee members of the action council have little idea of the progress of the negotiations through this lawyer. 

Samuel Jerome, an Indian living in Sana’a, is the person who has been involved in negotiation efforts since the beginning, according to the Action Council. However, members allege that Samuel Jerome has consistently refused to provide details of expenditures or updates on the negotiations. “The day after transferring 20,000 USD, the second installment for pre-negotiation expenses, Samuel Jerome left the WhatsApp group. We haven’t heard from him since,” says Advocate Subhash Chandran. Attempts by Outlook to reach Samuel Jerome for clarification went unanswered. 

Deepa Joseph, a Delhi-based lawyer and active core group member, declined to respond to the allegations. Similarly, Moosa Master, another core committee member and one of the directors of Kairali TV, the mouthpiece of the ruling CPIM, expressed hesitation in addressing queries about financial misappropriation and the lack of progress in negotiations for Nimisha Priya’s release. “Considering the importance and current status of the ongoing efforts, I am not authorised to share any details outside the committee. The committee will publish all relevant information when it is deemed necessary,” Moosa Master said in a WhatsApp message. 

In April 2024, Prema Kumari, Nimisha Priya’s mother, reached Yemen, followed by the permission granted by the Delhi High Court. Mother met daughter in jail on 24 April 2024, after 11 years of separation. Prema Kumari travelled to Yemen with Samuel Jerome. According to the members of the action council, she continues to live with him at his place in Sana’a. Some of the action council members have apprehension over her uncertain stay in Yemen, a country troubled with political instability. “A few of us insisted to send her back, but it also does not happen” says Kunjahammad Koorachund.  

(This article will be updated as soon as we receive further response from the members of the action council.) diamond game

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