No death sentence for Nimisha Priya now; phone call confirmed fake

NEW DELHI: A phone call received by Malayali nurse Nimisha Priya, who is in a Yemeni jail for the murder of a Yemeni citizen, has been confirmed as fake. The Indian Embassy in Yemen stated that Sanaa prison authorities have not issued any order to carry out her death sentence.

This clarification came after reports suggested that Nimisha Priya received a call in prison from someone claiming to be a female lawyer. In her message, Nimisha Priya mentioned that prison authorities had been informed to proceed with her death sentence. She also said that a lawyer had contacted her in jail. Action Council Convener Jayan Edappal received this audio message.

However, there has been no official response from the Union Ministry of External Affairs or the Indian Embassy. Action Council member Samuel added that Yemeni courts are currently on holiday, making it impossible to verify the authenticity of Nimisha Priya's message.

In 2017, a trial court sentenced Nimisha Priya to death for the murder of Yemeni citizen Talal Abdu Mahdi. The only way to save her was to seek mercy from Talal's family. Nimisha Priya's mother, Premakumari, travelled to Yemen to meet Talal's family and apologise. Negotiations were held with the family and traditional leaders, but they failed.

Nimisha Priya, married to Thodupuzha native Tommy Thomas, claims that Talal Abdu Mahdi had promised to help her start a clinic while she was working as a nurse. She alleges that he took her passport and subjected her to brutal assault.