Indian nurse Nimisha Priya, sentenced to death in Yemen for the 2020 murder of her business partner, has reportedly been spared execution following high-level religious and diplomatic mediation.
The development was announced by the office of Indian Grand Mufti Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar, who cited a decision made during a key meeting in Sanaa, Yemen’s capital.
While India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has not yet officially confirmed the revocation, the Grand Mufti’s office asserted that the previously stayed death sentence has now been fully revoked, according to news agencies.
Priya’s case drew global attention after Yemeni courts cleared the way for her hanging on July 16, 2025.
A day before the scheduled execution, intense behind-the-scenes efforts led to a last-minute stay.
These efforts included the Grand Mufti’s religious diplomacy through Yemeni cleric Shaikh Habeeb Ummer and international evangelist Dr. KA Paul, who later confirmed from Sanaa that the sentence had been cancelled.
Dr. Paul also pledged logistical assistance for Priya’s repatriation through safe transit countries. Meanwhile, MEA reaffirmed its continued engagement, providing legal aid and maintaining dialogue with Yemeni authorities.
This case underscores a rare collaboration between religious leaders, diplomats, and civil society to save a citizen from the gallows.
