New Delhi: The Yemen Embassy has clarified that Yemeni President Rashad Al-Alimi has not approved the death sentence of Malayali nurse Nimisha Priya. The approval for the sentence came from Mehdi Al-Mashat, leader of the Houthi Supreme Political Council, who is described as a rebel president.

The crime for which Nimisha Priya was convicted occurred in northern Yemen, under Houthi control. The prison where Nimisha is held also falls within the Houthi-controlled region. Iran, which supports the Houthi faction, has reportedly expressed willingness to mediate discussions.

In its letter, the Yemen Embassy in India congratulated Manorama News, which broke the story, for the reporting on the development.

Nimisha Priya, a native of Chittilancheri in Palakkad, has been imprisoned in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, since 2017, after being convicted in the murder case of Talal Abdo Mahdi. Reports suggest the execution may be carried out within a month. Nimisha’s mother, Premakumari, has been in Yemen since April 20 last year, working towards her daughter's release and has managed to visit her in prison twice.

In 2015, Nimisha Priya started a clinic in Sanaa with Talal’s sponsorship. She was arrested in July 2017 for allegedly murdering Talal in collaboration with a colleague. In 2020, a trial court sentenced her to death. Various courts subsequently rejected appeals against the verdict.