Has Yemen Commuted Kerala Nurse Nimisha Priya’s Death Sentence?

A video released on Tuesday, featuring evangelist and Global Peace Initiative founder Dr KA Paul, where he can be heard claiming that the death sentence of Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya has been cancelled by Yemeni authorities, is being widely circulated on social media.

“I want to thank all the leaders who were involved in making this a great success. Nimisha Priya’s death has been cancelled. By God’s grace, she will be released and taken to India. I want to thank Prime Minister Modi ji for preparing to send your diplomats … and take Nimisha professionally, safely,” Dr Paul is heard saying in the video. 

This video in English was posted by Dr Paul on his X handle.

However, it is important to note that at no point in the video does he present any official Yemeni legal documentation confirming the cancellation of the death sentence.

Archived version of the post can be seen here.

Nimisha Priya, a native of Kollengode, Palakkad, has been in jail since 2017 for the murder of Yemeni citizen Talal Abdul Mahdi. There were reports that Nimisha Priya would be executed on July 16. However, an order was issued postponing the execution.

The court had rejected all the petitions seeking relief from Nimishapriya’s death sentence. Therefore, the only remaining option is to obtain relief by giving blood money to the family of the murdered Yemeni national.

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Fact Check/Verification

To find out the fact behind the viral claim, we checked the Facebook profiles of Fattah Abdul Mahdi, the brother of Nimisha Priya’s victim Talal, and Samuel Jerome, who is campaigning for Nimisha Priya’s release in Yemen.

In a Facebook post dated July 23, 2025, Fattah Abdul Mahdi denied the claim that Nimisha Priya’s death sentence had been overturned. She will not be released and the execution will be carried out soon, the post added.

The viral claim was also denied by Samuel Jerome, an Indian social worker based in Yemen, who has long served as the primary liaison for the Nimisha Priya International Action Council in advocating for her case.

Sharing a screenshot of Fattah’s Facebook Post, Jerome wrote, “It is extremely disheartening that sections of the Indian media continue to insult and dishonor the sacred blood of Brother Talal that was shed, as well as the dignity of his grieving family.”

“Since 2020, I have consistently stated that this is not an issue to be sensationalised or used for public consumption. In my earlier statements, I clearly warned that those spreading false or misleading narratives show no respect for the life that was lost — that of Brother Talal — nor for Brother Abdul Fattah, his family, or even for the life of Ms. Nimisha Priya,” the post adds.

“I earnestly plead with the Indian media: Please show due respect to the blood that was unjustly shed. Respect the pain and dignity of Brother Abdul Fattah’s family. Give them the privacy, time, and space they desperately need to heal,” the post says further.

Upon conducting a keyword search, we found no official notification from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirming either the acquittal or the cancellation of Nimisha Priya’s death sentence.

In a press conference held on July 17, 2025, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that the Government of India was closely tracking the extremely sensitive case of the Kerala-origin nurse trapped in Yemen, providing all possible assistance at every juncture of the trial, indicating that the final decision on commuting Nimisha Priya’s death sentence is still pending. 

Conclusion

Hence, we find that social media posts claiming that Nimisha Priya’s death sentence has been commuted, are false.

Also Read: Fact Check: Hindu Woman Raped & Stuffed Into a Freezer by Muslim Partner in Assam?

Sources
Facebook Post by Abdul Fattah Mahdi on July 23,2025
Facebook Post by Baskaran Samuel Jerome on July 24,2025
X Post by PTI on  July 17,2025