Hope rises in saving Kerala nurse facing execution in Yemen after A P Aboobacker Musliyar’s intervention

News Network

July 15, 2025

Kozhikode, July 15: Last-minute efforts to halt the scheduled execution of an Indian nurse in Yemen on July 16 are underway, under the leadership of a Sufi scholar there, at the behest of influential Sunni Muslim leader Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar, informed sources said here on Tuesday.

A meeting between representatives of Musliyar and Sufi leader Sheikh Habib Umar bin Hafiz, and the family of Talal Abdo Mahdi -- the Yemeni national allegedly killed by nurse Nimisha Priya in 2017 -- is expected to be held at Dhamar on Tuesday, they said.

The development follows after the 94-year-old Musliyar, who is officially known as Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad and holds the title of Grand Mufti of India, held talks with religious authorities in Yemen.

The meeting with the family will take place on Tuesday at 10 am, Yemeni local time.

Kanthapuram's office said a close relative of the deceased Talal -- who is also the Chief Justice of the Hodeidah State Court and a member of the Yemeni Shura Council --has arrived in Dhamar, Talal's hometown, to take part in today's talks, following the advice of Sheikh Habib Umar.

"The fact that he is a follower of Sheikh Habib Umar's Sufi order and the son of another prominent Sufi leader offers great hope. Along with persuading the family, he is also expected to meet the Attorney General to initiate urgent efforts to postpone the execution scheduled for tomorrow," it said.

"We see the agreement of the family to hold talks with representatives of the Sufi spiritual leader as a positive signal towards our efforts to halt the scheduled execution for the time being," a source said.

Sources said Talal's murder is not just an emotional issue for the family, but also among the tribes and the residents of the Dhamar region.

This is why no one had been able to establish contact with the family until now. "It was only through Kanthapuram's intervention that communication with the family became possible for the first time," they said.

The family agreed to the talks following the advice of Sheikh Habib Umar bin Hafiz.

"Today's discussion is focused on reaching a final decision regarding the acceptance of blood money. As efforts continue to convince the family, Kanthapuram has also requested the Yemeni authorities to temporarily defer the execution scheduled for July 16 --a request the Yemeni administration is expected to consider today," a source said.

Nimisha Priya, a nurse from Palakkad district in Kerala, is facing execution on July 16 for the murder of Mahdi, her Yemeni business partner.

She was sentenced to death in 2020, and her final appeal was rejected in 2023.

She is currently imprisoned in a jail in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen.

The Centre on Monday had informed the Supreme Court that the government could do "nothing much" in the case.

Attorney General R Venkataramani had informed a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta that the government was doing "utmost possible".

"The Government of India is trying its best," Venkataramani said, "and has also engaged with some sheikhs who are very influential people there."

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Nearly 500 US-Israel backed terrorists, riot ringleaders captured across Iran

News Network

January 20,2026

Iranian security and intelligence forces have captured more than 470 individuals in three provinces, identified as key figures behind the recent wave of violent unrest and terrorist activities linked to foreign-backed networks.

The Intelligence Ministry's provincial office in Khorasan Razavi announced on Monday the arrest of 192 armed terrorists, identified as the main agents behind recent riots in the region.

According to an official statement, the detainees were involved in the killing of several security personnel and civilians, setting fire to mosques, public service facilities, and buses, as well as attacks on military and law enforcement centers.

The seized items from the group include several bulletproof vests, Kalashnikov rifles, hunting weapons, Winchester rifles, and various cold weapons such as daggers, swords, brass knuckles, tactical knives, crossbows, and chains.

Evidence indicates that some of the individuals were tied to hostile movements and terrorist organizations, with links overseas. Others were identified as members of violent criminal gangs, actively taking part in the unrest alongside their associates.

Simultaneously, in the western province of Lorestan, the IRGC announced the arrest of 134 individuals as the main leaders and influential field agents of a US-Israeli terrorist network.

The IRGC statement stated that these individuals formed terrorist cells during the recent unrest, committing "Daesh-like" acts.

They wounded security forces with firearms and cold weapons, and burned and destroyed public and private properties, including mosques, shops, banks, and private and public vehicles.

In the northwestern province of Zanjan, the police reported detaining 150 people identified as principal leaders and agents behind recent riots.

Authorities noted that these individuals were responsible for destroying public and private property and intentionally setting fire to vehicles in the province's squares.

Their crimes include shedding the blood of innocent people, destroying public and private property, attempting to enter military sites, disrupting public order, and spreading terror among citizens.

A variety of cold weapons were reportedly seized from the detainees.

What began late last month as peaceful protests over economic hardship across Iran turned violent after public statements by US and Israeli regime figures encouraged vandalism and disorder.

During the unrest, foreign-backed mercenaries rampaged through cities, killing security forces and civilians and damaging public property.

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