Senior member of the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council and long-time Yemen-based social worker Samuel Jerome Baskaran, who has been spearheading efforts to save Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya from execution, has strongly refuted reports in Malayalam media claiming a breakthrough deal had been struck with the victim’s family. Jerome confirmed that while Priya’s execution has been postponed, it was done without the consent of Talal Abdo Mahdi’s family, the Yemeni man she was convicted of murdering.
Jerome, who also works as an airline consultant, described ongoing reports crediting Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar with securing a pardon as “fake news” and said such misinformation risks derailing sensitive negotiations still underway.
Since this morning, Malayalam media has been spreading fake news, claiming that Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliar spoke with the Yemeni victim’s family and secured a pardon for Nimisha Priya.
This is false.!!
Samuel Jerome Baskaran, a key member of the Save Nimisha Priya… pic.twitter.com/C2in0Yylyv
— महारथी-മഹാരഥി (@MahaRathii) July 15, 2025
“No consent has been obtained from the family,” Jerome said in a video interview with Manorama News. “We managed to secure the postponement without any discussion with the family. People claiming otherwise are either misinformed or deliberately misleading the public.”
How The Execution Was Postponed
Speaking to The Indian Express, Jerome detailed the steps that led to the deferral of the execution. The breakthrough came after Sheikh Abdul Malik Al Nehaya, the ruler of Yemen’s Al Wasab region, met Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi on Friday, 11 July 2025. The President subsequently agreed to delay the execution, and the formal order was passed to the prosecutor on Monday, 14 July 2025.
According to Jerome, this intervention was initiated after he had personally met the Director General of Prosecution and jail officials where Priya is imprisoned. A letter from Priya’s mother, Prema Kumari, pleading for clemency was also submitted as part of the humanitarian appeal.
On 14 July 2025, Yemen’s public prosecutor issued an official directive to the central correctional facility, instructing them to postpone the “retaliation sentence” (execution) in accordance with the Attorney General’s recommendation.
The Indian government, which had earlier described the case as “very complex,” is understood to have quietly assisted in securing the postponement. Indian officials, including embassy personnel based in Saudi Arabia, were involved in facilitating this process in coordination with local Yemeni authorities.
Jerome noted that Yemeni authorities had requested strict confidentiality around the decision until 15 July 2025 to avoid public unrest. “Many people were heading to the prison to witness the execution. Revealing the deferment prematurely could have triggered law and order issues,” sources close to the negotiations told The Indian Express.
Despite the reprieve, Jerome emphasized that the ultimate step – a pardon from the victim’s family – is still pending. Under Yemeni law, particularly Sharia provisions, the family of the murdered person retains the right to accept diya (blood money) in exchange for clemency.
“The key to Nimisha’s life rests with the family of Talal,” said Jerome. “They have to forgive her, and our job is to convince them to do so.”
He dismissed ongoing public claims that anyone has already succeeded in negotiating with the family, adding that only one family member, Talal’s brother, has been approached so far.
Jerome also criticized the sudden media appearances by individuals claiming involvement in the negotiations. “These are PR stunts. There is no substance to these claims, and they risk disrupting the careful and sensitive process we are navigating.”
He acknowledged the coordinated efforts of Indian political leaders, including Kerala MLA Chandy Oommen, Kerala Governor, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ministry of External Affairs, and the Indian diplomatic team in the region. He also thanked Sheikh Abdul Malik Al Nehaya for acting as the local liaison who helped secure access to senior Yemeni authorities.
Jerome, who was instrumental in organizing evacuations of Indian nationals from Yemen in 2015, had returned to India recently but flew back to Yemen after the execution date was confirmed last week to resume emergency negotiations.
Meanwhile, Priya’s family and supporters are working to raise the required amount for blood money and continue their appeals for clemency.
Jerome urged the public and media to avoid spreading unverified claims. “I have stayed quiet not because there was nothing to report, but because this work requires patience, trust, and discretion,” he said. “When something real happens, we will inform the media, not before.”
(With inputs from NDTV)
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