The mother of an Indian nurse facing the death penalty for the murder of a Yemeni citizen is clinging to hope her daughter will be pardoned by the victim’s family.
Nimisha Priya was scheduled to be executed in Sanaa on June 16 for the murder and dismembering of Yemeni citizen Talal Mahdi in 2017. Yemen’s prosecutors accepted an 11th-hour appeal from her mother Prema Kumari urging for the execution to be postponed.
Ms Kumari is in Yemen to support her daughter who has been imprisoned in Sanaa for the past eight years.
“I can only ask them to forgive my daughter so she can get out of this,” Ms Kumari told The National in an interview from Sanaa. “I spoke to Nimisha a few days ago. She is under a lot of stress and tension. The false news being spread makes her very tense.”
Ms Kumari sends her daughter messages daily by a phone in the prison.
“I tell her to be courageous. I ask her to pray, not to get disturbed by the news floating around and to have faith that everything will be fine,” she said.
Mediation
The Indian media this week carried reports that the execution had been cancelled based on comments from a spiritual leader involved in talks.
The reports were denied by Talal Mahdi’s family who have urged Yemeni authorities to set a new execution date. Mr Mahdi’s family has said asked for justice for the Indian nurse’s inhuman crime of “slaughtering, dismembering and throwing a pure body into a water tank as if it were nothing”.
Ms Kumari said under Yemeni law, a convict’s relatives are not permitted to directly speak to or meet the victim’s family but she sent out appeals through intermediaries.
She cautioned people closely following her daughter’s case, and the media, against spreading incorrect information as it impeded attempts to mediate with Mr Mahdi’s family.
“Please do not cause any trouble in our hopes for her release by spreading false news in media and social media,” she said. “All this is causing a hindrance in the talks, and also affecting us and our state of mind. Please do not spread wrong information.”
Indian social worker Samuel Jerome Baskaran is in Yemen with Ms Kumari to seek a reprieve.
“We are working on a plan to save Ms Priya’s life while respecting the pain of Talal's family,” he said from Sanaa. “We definitely still have hope and will keep on trying. Hope is what drives us and forgiveness from the family is the only solution.”
Mr Mahdi’s family has turned down an offer of $1 million in diya, or blood money, as compensation for his death. The funds were gathered over several years by Ms Priya’s well-wishers in India and across the world, including the UAE.
Under Sharia, only an unconditional pardon by the victim’s family or an acceptance of blood money can halt an execution. Diya is paid to the heirs of the deceased by the party found responsible for the death.
“We do not shy away from the truth – it is a heinous crime she has committed, she has confessed to killing and cutting Talal’s body and this is proven forensically,” Mr Baskaran said. “We continue to seek mercy because if she is not forgiven she will be executed.”
Yemeni family urges retribution
Abdel Fattah Mahdi, Talal's brother, this week turned down reconciliation attempts and demanded justice.
“The execution has become mandatory by law and binding on all parties without any delay,” he said in a signed petition to Yemen’s Public Prosecution.
“The crime committed was beyond all bounds of humanity,” the family said on Facebook. “We urgently request your excellency to set a new date for the execution of the death sentence, which we firmly demand as our legitimate right, especially since we, the victim’s family, have lost our loved one to an atrocious crime.”
Ms Priya was 19 when she arrived in Yemen to work as a nurse in 2008 in a government hospital. She comes from a modest background, her mother is a housemaid in Kerala, and she aimed to reverse her family fortunes. Ms Priya has a husband and a 13-year-old daughter who live in India.
Ms Priya met Mr Mahdi in the hospital when his pregnant wife was admitted for delivery and they struck up a partnership to open a clinic.
Her defence lawyer alleged Mr Mahdi had abused her and confiscated her passport. Mr Mahdi’s family has denied the charges.
Ms Priya’s defence was that to retrieve her passport, she injected Mr Mahdi with sedatives, leading to death from an accidental overdose. Police charged Ms Priya after Mr Mahdi’s dismembered body was found in 2017.
A court in Sanaa sentenced her to death in 2020. Her family challenged the decision but their appeal was rejected in 2023 by Yemen’s Supreme Judicial Council.
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
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The view from The National
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
PAKISTAN SQUAD
Abid Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali (test captain), Babar Azam (T20 captain), Asad Shafiq, Fawad Alam, Haider Ali, Iftikhar Ahmad, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Imran Khan, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Sohail Khan, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz, Imad Wasim, Kashif Bhatti, Shadab Khan and Yasir Shah.
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Company Profile
Company name: Yeepeey
Started: Soft launch in November, 2020
Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani
Based: Dubai
Industry: E-grocery
Initial investment: $150,000
Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?
Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.
They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.
“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.
He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Barcelona 3
Messi (27’, 32’, 87’)
Leganes 1
El Zhar (68’)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Gender pay parity on track in the UAE
The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.
"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."
Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.
"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.
As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
South Africa v India schedule
Tests: 1st Test Jan 5-9, Cape Town; 2nd Test Jan 13-17, Centurion; 3rd Test Jan 24-28, Johannesburg
ODIs: 1st ODI Feb 1, Durban; 2nd ODI Feb 4, Centurion; 3rd ODI Feb 7, Cape Town; 4th ODI Feb 10, Johannesburg; 5th ODI Feb 13, Port Elizabeth; 6th ODI Feb 16, Centurion
T20Is: 1st T20I Feb 18, Johannesburg; 2nd T20I Feb 21, Centurion; 3rd T20I Feb 24, Cape Town
