Amid unverified reports of an imminent execution of Nimisha Priya, a Malayali nurse on death row in Yemen, her family in Kerala continues to cling to hope, even as a storm of contradictions, alleged manipulations and legal uncertainty surround the case.
Reports of a scheduled execution on July 16 have surfaced in recent days, reportedly based on claims by Samuel Jerome, a local lawyer of Indian origin. However, Jerome has not produced any official documentation or confirmation from Yemeni authorities. The family of Nimisha, along with members of the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, have dismissed these reports as unverified and potentially misleading.
Nimisha’s husband Tomy Thomas told the media, “She will come home soon. You have no idea how hard it is to hide these unconfirmed reports from our school-going daughter. She spoke to her mother recently, filled with hope. We still believe she will return.”
Nimisha’s mother Premakumari, who is in Yemen since April 2024, also expressed ignorance about the reported execution date. “Samuel left Yemen in February 2025 and returned only on July 8, the day the report surfaced. I don’t know anything,” she told the media.
The uncertainty has intensified with conflicting statements about blood money negotiations. Jerome had earlier claimed that a sponsor was ready to pay US $1 million, while another Action Council member, advocate Deepa Joseph, spoke of launching a crowdfunding campaign, raising the question that if a sponsor exists, why is crowdfunding necessary?
There is also no clarity on what happened to the $48,000 previously raised, allegedly as a “negotiation fee”. The family of the victim, Talal Abdo Mahdi, the Yemeni man killed in 2017, has not issued any public statement indicating willingness to accept blood money or pardon Nimisha under the Shariat law, which permits such settlements.
K. Subhash Chandran, the lead counsel for the Action Council, flagged serious concerns over transparency and coordination. “We paid $20,000 in August 2024 and the remaining $20,000 in December. Jerome then left our WhatsApp group and claimed that the Yemeni president had approved the death sentence, something the Yemen Embassy denied. Now, after months of silence, he reappears, claiming a July 16 execution date. When we checked with the Indian Embassy and Ministry of External Affairs, they confirmed there was no such information,” Chandran said.
The Action Council has filed a petition in the Supreme Court, urging it to stall the execution and direct the Centre to secure Nimisha’s release. The petition was mentioned before Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, who posted the matter for hearing on July 14. “But if the execution is truly scheduled for July 16, it leaves hardly any time for negotiations,” Chandran warned.
Action Council members have also questioned the role of Jerome, who was never an officially designated negotiator. He was allowed to stay in Yemen due to his long-term residence and not as part of any authorised government effort.
“We believe he is keeping Nimisha’s mother in Yemen to lend credibility to his narrative,” Chandran alleged. “She’s under house arrest, with limited food and her communications are monitored. Even Nimisha knows the reality, but she’s helpless,” he alleged.
Action Council treasurer Kunhammed Koorachund echoed these sentiments, saying, “We paid what Jerome demanded, but got no transparency—no bills, no evidence of negotiation, not even a photo with Talal’s family. Now, calls for new crowdfunding feel like pure manipulation.”
Nimisha has been on death row in northern Yemen, under Houthi rebel control, where India has no formal diplomatic presence, further complicating efforts. In August 2017, she was arrested while attempting to flee to Saudi Arabia. A month earlier, she had killed her employer Mahdi by administering a fatal dose of ketamine, allegedly to retrieve her passport and escape years of abuse and confinement.
Chandran said, “This is a legally and diplomatically fragile situation, much more complex than past cases like that of Abdul Rahim in Saudi Arabia. In Yemen, there’s no working government and traditional negotiations must go through community elders.”
Jabir Maliyekkal, another council member coordinating from Muscat, noted that in the Yemen-Oman region, mediations are typically handled by Sheikhs, Nadims or Nawabs. “We’ve opened a separate channel through Yemeni community leaders via the UK. They remain hopeful. We don’t understand why Jerome is spreading panic without any official proof,” he added.
For now, a Supreme Court petition offers the last line of defence, while confusion grows over media reports, contradictory fundraising efforts and the silent suffering of a child in Kerala who waits for her mother.
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