Priya had traveled to Yemen for work and ended up imprisoned in Sana’a, the capital city controlled by the Iran-backed Houthi government. India, which has no official diplomatic ties with the Houthis, has attempted to intervene diplomatically. However, legal complications and geopolitical barriers have stalled New Delhi’s efforts to secure her release or commute her sentence.

In 2011, Nimisha Priya relocated to Yemen and began working as a nurse in Sana’a. When financial troubles and growing civil unrest hit the region, her husband and daughter returned to India in 2014, but she stayed behind to continue supporting them.

Following Yemeni regulations for foreign medical professionals, Priya partnered with a local man, Talal Abdo Mahdi, to open a clinic. She later accused Mahdi of threatening her, physically abusing her, and financially exploiting her. She alleged that he forged documents to falsely claim they were married. According to Priya, Mahdi controlled her with medication and withheld her passport to prevent her from leaving. Priya reported the abuse to local authorities. However, instead of receiving protection, the authorities jailed her.

A Yemeni court found Nimisha Priya guilty of murdering Yemeni national Tuwairq Mahdi. According to case records, Mahdi allegedly confiscated Priya’s passport in 2017, preventing her from returning to India and forcing her into dependence. In an attempt to retrieve her passport and flee Yemen, Priya tried to sedate Mahdi. However, the sedative dose proved fatal, resulting in his death.

Priya then dismembered Mahdi’s body and, with the help of a local woman named Hanan, disposed of it in a water tank. The court sentenced Priya to death in 2020. In November 2023, the Supreme Judicial Council under the Houthi administration upheld the sentence, affirming her place on Yemen’s death row.

Indian authorities have actively worked to prevent Nimisha Priya’s execution. “Since the court sentenced her to death, we’ve closely monitored the case. We’ve extended full support and maintained constant communication with both Yemeni officials and her family,” an Indian official confirmed. He added, “We continue to closely track the situation.”

The government had earlier informed Parliament that it was providing every possible assistance to Priya’s family. However, officials have faced serious challenges in negotiating her release due to the lack of formal diplomatic ties with Yemen’s Houthi administration. In 2023, Priya’s mother, Premakumari, even traveled to Yemen in a desperate effort to secure her daughter’s freedom. Meanwhile, Indian authorities also explored the possibility of paying “diyat”, or blood money, to the victim’s family, as permitted under Yemeni law. But ongoing obstacles in local negotiations have stalled progress on that front, making the option increasingly uncertain.