India’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar has confirmed officially that the death sentence of Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya, who had been sentenced to death in Yemen, has been officially put on hold. He said that he contacted Islamic scholars of Yemen, appealing to them to negotiate on behalf of the victim’s family, as Islamic law permits.
The death sentence was to be carried out on July 16, 2025. However, after the intervention by the Grand Mufti, Yemeni officials have postponed it. The postponement now provides a very important window to proceed with negotiations and perhaps get a pardon.
“Islam has another law. If the killer is to be executed, the victim’s family can pardon him. I do not know who this family is, but from afar, I reached the concerned scholars in Yemen. I explained the matters to them. Islam is a religion that holds a lot of value for humanness,” ANI had quoted Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar.
Religious Intervention Brokered the Delay
The Grand Mufti outlined how his appeal brought a response from Yemeni scholars. “Following my request that they intervene and act, the scholars met, deliberated, and said that they would do their best. They have formally told us and sent a letter saying that the execution date has been delayed, and this will ease the continuation of the discussions,” he said.
He also assured that he informed India’s central government and further dispatched a formal letter to the Prime Minister’s Office about the events.
Legal Background of the Case
Nimisha Priya was arrested in 2017 for the homicide of a Yemeni national, her business partner. A Yemeni court convicted her to death in 2020. The Supreme Judicial Council of Yemen rejected her last appeal in November 2023.
The Grand Mufti posted what he claimed was an official document of the Public Prosecution of the Specialised Criminal Court, Republic of Yemen. The Arabic verdict loosely translates to, “It reports that on the instructions of the Attorney General, the death sentence of Nimisha Priya, who was to be executed on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, has been put off. The date of execution is to be deferred on further notice.”
