First contact with victim’s family renews hope for Nimisha Priya as execution hour nears

Sana: Discussions following the intervention of Indian Grand Mufti Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar in the sensitive Nimisha Priya case are reportedly progressing favourably. Talks with the family of Talal Abdo Mahdi, the Yemeni national whose death led to Nimisha’s sentencing, are scheduled to resume at 10:00 am Yemen time on Tuesday.

Significantly, a close relative of Talal, who also serves as the Chief Justice of the Hudaydah State Court and a member of the Yemeni Shura Council, has arrived in Dhamar, Talal’s hometown, to participate in the discussions. He has come at the request of Sheikh Habib Umar bin Hafiz, the prominent Sufi scholar leading mediation efforts.

The presence of this relative, who is both a follower of Sheikh Habib Umar’s Sufi order and the son of a revered Sufi saint, has raised hopes for a breakthrough. While playing a key role in persuading Talal’s family, he is also expected to meet Yemen’s Attorney General to make an urgent appeal for postponing the execution scheduled for July 16.

The murder of Talal remains a highly emotional and sensitive issue among the tribes and residents of the Dhamar region, which had previously made it difficult to establish any communication with the victim’s family. It was only through Kanthapuram’s direct intervention that meaningful contact became possible.

The family’s willingness to reopen discussions came after Sheikh Habib Umar intervened and urged them to reconsider their position — an appeal they have now agreed to honour. Today’s meeting is also expected to focus on reaching a final decision regarding the acceptance of blood money (diyah), a move that could potentially avert the execution.

The Yemeni government is also expected to consider Kanthapuram’s formal request for a temporary stay of execution, allowing time for mediation to continue and a possible resolution to be achieved.