The execution of an Indian nurse convicted of murdering a Yemeni citizen has been postponed, according to her family and a social worker involved in her defence.
Nimisha Priya was scheduled to be executed in Sanaa on Wednesday. But a petition seeking a stay, filed last week by her mother Prema Kumari and Indian social worker Samuel Jerome Baskaran, has been accepted.
Ms Kumari and Mr Baskaran are in Yemen to support negotiations to save the life of Ms Priya, 34, from Kerala in southern India.
“I just hope God will save her and get her out of this. That’s all I can hope for,” Ms Kumari told The National from the Yemeni capital. “She will be happy to know of this postponement.”
After visiting her daughter in prison last month, Ms Kumari said "in front of me, she showed a brave front but she is very tense".
Mr Baskaran told The National he submitted a petition at the public prosecution office in Sanaa on Saturday, along with Ms Kumari, appealing for the execution to be postponed. They received news a day later that the request had been accepted and were given approval to make the order public today.
Mr Baskaran has earlier met the father and brothers of the victim, Talal Mahdi, to plead for forgiveness and make an offer of $1 million in diya, or blood money, as compensation for his death.
“A pardon is only possible from the family, so I had sought forgiveness from them,” he said. “The family has not consented to our offer. So we have to find a way forward, that is our only priority now. We are still hopeful.”
The order said the execution would be postponed “until further notice". Mr Baskaran said the Indian government had also sent a request to stay the sentence.
Final negotiations
India does not have an embassy in Yemen after it cut diplomatic ties following the outbreak of civil war in 2014, but New Delhi has provided legal representation and helped with the transfer of diya to lawyers in Sanaa.
Deepa Joseph, a lawyer in India and vice chairwoman of the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, expressed relief over the order. “We needed time and we knocked on every door,” she said. “We are relieved about the stay as it gives more time to talk to the family of the victim.”
Mediation by an Indian Muslim religious leader has also helped in the case. An intervention by Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar, a prominent Sunni leader also known as the Grand Mufti of India, set up a line of communication with Mr Mahdi's family.
“He has spoken to religious scholars in Yemen,” said Chandy Oommen, a Kerala state legislator. “His connections with spiritual leaders there will play a crucial role in reaching the family to ask them for forgiveness for Nimisha. There is an effort from all sides to get a reprieve.”
Case against the nurse
The Indian nurse faces the death sentence over the murder of Mr Mahdi, who was her business partner, after police found his dismembered body in a water tank in 2017.
She has been in jail in Sanaa for the past eight years and her family's hopes hinge on Mr Mahdi’s relatives granting a pardon.
Under Sharia, the only way to halt an execution is an unconditional pardon by the victim’s family or an acceptance of blood money. That is usually paid to the heirs of the deceased by the party found responsible for causing the death.
Supporters of Ms Priya have been working for several years to gather funds and push for her execution to be abandoned. They raised $40,000 through crowdfunding and the money was sent in two instalments to lawyers in Yemen hired by the Indian government for Ms Priya’s defence.
The diya increased to $1 million this month after business leaders, prominent industrialists and the community in Kerala and overseas pitched in.
Ms Priya was 19 when she went to Yemen to work as a nurse in 2008, aiming to change her family's fortunes. Ms Priya worked as a nurse in a Sanaa government hospital before opening a clinic with Mr Mahdi.
During the trial in Yemen, her lawyer alleged she was physically and mentally abused by Mr Mahdi, who confiscated her passport, leaving her unable to travel to India to see her mother, husband and young daughter.
Her lawyer argued that she injected Mr Mahdi with sedatives so she could retrieve her passport, but this led to his death from an accidental overdose.
A court in Sanaa sentenced her death in 2020. An appeal from her family was rejected in 2023 by Yemen’s Supreme Judicial Council and her execution was approved in January this year.
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Company profile
Company: Rent Your Wardrobe
Date started: May 2021
Founder: Mamta Arora
Based: Dubai
Sector: Clothes rental subscription
Stage: Bootstrapped, self-funded
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Getting there
The flights
Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.
The stay
Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net
Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama
Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com
England World Cup squad
Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wkt), Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
SPEC SHEET
Display: 6.8" edge quad-HD dynamic Amoled 2X, Infinity-O, 3088 x 1440, 500ppi, HDR10 , 120Hz
Processor: 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/Exynos 2200, 8-core
Memory: 8/12GB RAM
Storage: 128/256/512GB/1TB
Platform: Android 12
Main camera: quad 12MP ultra-wide f/2.2, 108MP wide f/1.8, 10MP telephoto f/4.9, 10MP telephoto 2.4; Space Zoom up to 100x, auto HDR, expert RAW
Video: 8K@24fps, 4K@60fps, full-HD@60fps, HD@30fps, super slo-mo@960fps
Front camera: 40MP f/2.2
Battery: 5000mAh, fast wireless charging 2.0 Wireless PowerShare
Connectivity: 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC
I/O: USB-C
SIM: single nano, or nano and SIM, nano and nano, eSIM/nano and nano
Colours: burgundy, green, phantom black, phantom white, graphite, sky blue, red
Price: Dh4,699 for 128GB, Dh5,099 for 256GB, Dh5,499 for 512GB; 1TB unavailable in the UAE
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to tell if your child is being bullied at school
Sudden change in behaviour or displays higher levels of stress or anxiety
Shows signs of depression or isolation
Ability to sleep well diminishes
Academic performance begins to deteriorate
Changes in eating habits
Struggles to concentrate
Refuses to go to school
Behaviour changes and is aggressive towards siblings
Begins to use language they do not normally use
Veil (Object Lessons)
Rafia Zakaria
Bloomsbury Academic
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
