Abdul Fattah Mahdi, the brother of Talal Abdo Mahdi, the victim in the case that led to the death sentence of Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya in Yemen, has taken a firm stand, reiterating the family’s demand for strict application of Qisas (God’s Law of retribution). Abdul Mahdi stated clearly that their sole demand is justice, not reconciliation.
He declared that he would not pardon Nimisha Priya, who was convicted of killing his brother. According to reports, Talal’s brother remains adamant that there will be no compromise in the matter and that the family has refused diyat (blood money). “We will not succumb to any pressure,” he asserted.
In a Facebook post following the postponement of Nimisha Priya’s execution, Abdul Mahdi wrote that the family had rejected all efforts at reconciliation, including offers of blood money.
“Now the execution has been postponed, and we were not expecting that—unfortunately—especially since those who halted the implementation are fully aware of our absolute refusal to any reconciliation attempt in any form,” he wrote.
He further added that various mediation efforts are underway but emphasized that the family would neither yield to pressure nor accept negotiation.
“Delay won’t bend us, pressure won’t move us, blood can’t buy us… and the truth is not forgotten. What lies beyond the setting of the execution date is more difficult than before. We will pursue retribution until the execution. Justice will be served, no matter how long the road takes. With God’s help,” Abdul Mahdi concluded in his post.
The latest update confirms that the family of Talal has officially declined to accept any blood money.
On Monday, a court in Yemen postponed the execution of Nimisha Priya, which was scheduled for Wednesday.
Meanwhile, India’s Ministry of External Affairs has advised against public commentary on the case. Government sources emphasized the need to prevent any law and order issues in Yemen, warning that unnecessary controversy could derail diplomatic efforts aimed at securing Nimisha’s release. The Centre also indicated that the Yemeni President had intervened in the matter on Monday.
Nimisha Priya, a native of Palakkad, Kerala, was convicted of murdering Yemeni citizen Talal Abdo Mahdi. She was sentenced to death by a local Yemeni court in June 2018.
The verdict was later upheld by Yemen’s Supreme Judicial Council in November 2023. Nimisha had been working as a nurse in Yemen for several years. With Talal’s support, she ran a clinic there, but allegedly endured prolonged mental, physical, and financial abuse, which eventually led to the fatal incident in 2017.
In the wake of the execution delay, Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar, General Secretary of the All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama, who played a key role in the intervention, said he would continue efforts to save Nimisha Priya from the death penalty.
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