NEW DELHI, India, Jan 4: Family members of an Indian nurse on death row in war-torn Yemen are pinning their hopes on a final effort to save her life.

Nimisha Priya, 34, was sentenced to death for the murder of her former business partner, Talal Abdo Mahdi. His dismembered body was found in a water tank in 2017. Nimisha is currently imprisoned in Sanaa's central jail and is set to be executed soon, with Mahdi al-Mashat, president of the Houthi rebel's Supreme Political Council, approving her sentence this week.

Under the Islamic judicial system, Sharia law, the only way to halt the execution now is to secure a pardon from the victim’s family. For months, Nimisha’s relatives and supporters have been attempting to raise "diyah" (blood money) to offer Mahdi's family, and negotiations are ongoing. However, with time running out, their hopes rest entirely on the victim's family's decision.

The public prosecutor's office, following the presidential sanction, will once again approach Mahdi's family to ask if they would consent to pardon Nimisha. If they agree, the execution will be halted immediately. "Forgiveness is the first step. Whether the family accepts the blood money comes only after that," said Samuel Jerome, a Yemen-based social worker with power of attorney on behalf of Nimisha's mother.

Yemen’s laws prevent Nimisha’s family from directly contacting Mahdi's family, so they must hire negotiators. Subhash Chandran, a lawyer representing Nimisha’s family in India, told the BBC that they had already raised $40,000 (£32,268) in crowdfunding to offer Mahdi's family. This money was provided in two payments to the lawyers hired by the Indian government to negotiate the case. However, delays in sending the second payment have affected the negotiations, according to Jerome.

"We now need to explore the scope for discussions with the victim's family, which is possible only with the Indian government's support," said Mr. Chandran. India’s foreign ministry has expressed awareness of Nimisha's situation and is extending all possible help to the family.

Nimisha's family is anxious, yet hopeful. "Nimisha has no knowledge of what is happening beyond the prison gates," said her husband, Tony Thomas, who spoke with her hours before the death sentence was approved. "The only thing she wants to know is if our daughter is okay."

Nimisha’s mother, Prema Kumari, is currently in Sanaa, having traveled there last year after a court in India allowed her to visit the Houthi-controlled region. She has met her daughter twice in prison. The first reunion was emotional, with Nimisha telling her mother, "You’ve become weak, but keep courage. God will save me. Don’t be sad."

During the second visit, Ms. Kumari was joined by two nuns who prayed for Nimisha in the prison.

Nimisha, who was barely 19 when she moved to Yemen, came from a modest background. The daughter of a low-paid domestic worker, she sought to improve her family's financial situation by working as a nurse in Sanaa’s government hospital. She returned to India in 2011 and married Tony Thomas, a tuk-tuk driver. Shortly after, the couple moved to Yemen. However, financial struggles led Mr. Thomas to return to India with their daughter.

Tired of low-paying hospital jobs, Nimisha opened her own clinic in Yemen, partnering with Mahdi, a local store owner. Initially, they had a good relationship, with Mahdi accompanying Nimisha to India for her daughter’s baptism. "He seemed like a nice man," Mr. Thomas said.

However, Mr. Thomas alleges Mahdi's behavior changed when the civil war broke out in Yemen in 2014. At that time, Nimisha was finalizing paperwork to bring her husband and daughter back to Yemen, but the Indian government banned travel to Yemen due to the war, making reunification impossible.

Nimisha later began complaining about Mahdi’s behavior, including allegations of physical abuse. A petition filed by the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council claimed that Mahdi had stolen her money, seized her passport, and even threatened her with a gun.

After Mahdi’s body was discovered in 2017, Nimisha was charged with murder, accused of killing him with an overdose of sedatives and dismembering his body. She denies the charges, stating that she intended to anaesthetize Mahdi only to retrieve her passport but accidentally administered a fatal dose.

In 2020, a local court sentenced Nimisha to death, and an appeal to Yemen’s Supreme Court in 2023 was rejected. Despite these setbacks, Nimisha’s family has not lost hope.

"My heart says we can reach a settlement and save Nimisha’s life," said Tony Thomas. His greatest worry is their 13-year-old daughter, who has "never experienced a mother’s love." He added, "They speak on the phone every week, and my daughter gets upset if she misses the call. She needs her mother. What will she do without her?"