SANAA: Reports say that there is a ray of hope for the release of Nimisha Priya, the Malayali nurse sentenced to death in Yemen. The reports that came in said the officials of Iran are trying to hold talks with the family of slain Yemeni citizen Talal Abdu Mehdi. If the family offers blood money and seeks pardon, there is a possibility that Nimisha Priya's death sentence will be commuted.

The crime for which Nimisha Priya is accused took place in Houthi-controlled northern Yemen. Iranian officials are trying to hold talks with the family of Talal Abdu Mehdi with the help of the Houthis. Senior Iranian officials had expressed their willingness to work for Nimisha Priya's release last week.

The court found Nimisha Priya guilty in the murder case of Yemeni citizen Talal Abdu Mahdi in 2017. The trial court awarded her death penalty in 2020. The only way to save Nimisha Priya was to give blood money to Talal's family. Nimisha Priya's mother Prema Kumari had gone to Yemen to meet Talal's family and apologize. Talks were held with Talal's family and the tribal chiefs, but did not yield any results.

Nimisha Priya is the wife of Tommy Thomas of Thodupuzha. Nimisha Priya claimed that she murdered Talal Abdu Mahdi, who came to her with the promise of helping her start her own clinic while she was working as a nurse, then confiscated her passport and brutally tortured her.