Nimisha Priya case: Social media backlash threatens to derail pardon talks in Yemen

The backlash, which gained traction both in Malayalam and Arabic networks and among right-wing Indian handles, appears to have negatively impacted ongoing talks with the victim’s family and thrown the future of the pardon process into uncertainty.

No pardon

The counter-campaign appears to have had real-world consequences as well. One of the brothers of Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mahdi, the victim, has publicly declared that they are not willing to pardon her in exchange for blood money (diyah). This development comes a day after what had seemed like a breakthrough—when Yemeni authorities temporarily suspended her execution.

Also read: Yemen postpones execution of Nimisha Priya amid intense efforts by Grand Mufti of India

It was Habib Umar’s direct intervention that opened the doors for dialogue with the victim’s family, given the high regard they hold for him. A prominent figure in the Ba Alawi Sufi tradition, Habib Umar is the founder of Dar al-Mustafa, a renowned Islamic seminary in Tarim, Yemen. He shares a close relationship with Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar and is deeply respected in traditional Sunni circles.

“Even if you send prophets from the sky, we will go ahead with the execution” — this remark, attributed to Yemeni journalist Sohran Wosabi, who identifies himself as a spokesperson for the Mahdi family, was made during a video interview given to a Kerala-based YouTuber Mubarak Ravuther in Arabic.

Also read: Nimisha Priya case: Want God's law to be enforced, says victim's brother

The quote and the interview were widely shared by Ravuther, a vocal critic of Kanthapuram with past associations with the IUML and the Muslim Youth League.

Harming the cause

Mubarak Ravuther is not the only one opposing Kanthapuram’s mediation, which had drawn widespread appreciation for its humanitarian outreach. Several others, from some Islamic organisations to right-wing groups, have also voiced objections, insisting that Nimisha Priya committed a serious crime that should not go unpunished. But what has particularly raised eyebrows among her supporters is the organised and strategic nature of this counter-campaign, reaching out to the family and friends of the Yemeni victim, which they fear could derail the fragile pardon negotiations.

Meanwhile, a couple of members within the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council are also said to be unhappy with Kanthapuram’s entry — not necessarily because they oppose the cause, but due to concerns over who gets credit for the breakthrough.

“We fail to understand the intent behind this counter-campaign. They’re mongering for her execution simply because they have issues with Kanthapuram Ustad,” said Jawad Mustafawy, a disciple of both Sheikh Habib Umar bin Hafiz and Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar, who is privy to the details of the negotiation process.

“Some individuals in Yemen claiming to be part of the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council have even mocked the Sufi scholar who is deeply respected by the victim’s family. As a result, the younger members of the Mahdi clan are now turning against their elders for even considering the diyah talks. This has put us in a very difficult position. The victim’s family are Sunni believers, and they hold Habib Umar in the highest regard. That connection was our way of building trust and initiating dialogue. Mocking him will only harm the cause,” Jawad told The Federal.

Growing rift

“Some quarters have reduced this entire effort to just the amount of diya. It’s unfortunate that a prominent figure from Kerala even tried to approach the victim’s family, offering a higher amount — on the condition that Kanthapuram’s name be kept out of it. All just to sideline him. I don’t wish to name the person, but it’s deeply disappointing,” said Mustafawy.

Also read: Govt approaches Yemeni prosecution to halt Nimisha Priya's execution

The growing rift within the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council — the main body coordinating legal and diplomatic efforts to secure her release — has added to the uncertainty surrounding the case.

Two key members, Samuel Jerome (based in Yemen) and Deepa Joseph (a lawyer in Delhi), are reported to have distanced themselves from the core group.

Samuel Jerome, who is currently hosting Nimisha Priya’s mother in Yemen, had claimed that “the Indian government is also involved in this mission,” adding that Yemeni authorities had directed them not to disclose details. However, in its submission to the Supreme Court, the Union government has clearly stated that it has limited scope to intervene and that only private negotiations are currently underway.

De-escalate noise on social media

“We want to make it clear that this campaign is not about credit or limelight. This is about saving a life. We urge everyone to act with care and coordination. Unilateral actions or uncontrolled public messaging may seriously harm sensitive negotiations,” he said. They also issued an advisory discouraging public appeals that might offend or provoke the victim’s family or tribal networks in Yemen.

Earlier, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said the state would support all legal and humanitarian efforts in coordination with the central government and the Indian mission. The central government, meanwhile, has reiterated its limitations in intervening directly in the judicial matters of Yemen, which is not a signatory to international human rights conventions that allow formal extradition or prisoner transfer.

Several Gulf-based Keralite groups and humanitarian networks are now privately urging campaigners to de-escalate the noise on social media and allow for a quiet rebuilding of trust with Talal’s family. Advisories are being circulated across WhatsApp groups warning against tagging or provoking the family on public platforms.

Also read: Nimisha Priya's family offers $1 million 'blood money'

“There was momentum. But now things are badly tangled. It will take time and patience, and a low-profile approach, if at all things are to be revived, “said a key figure who is involved in the negotiation with the victim’s family

Case in brief

Nimisha Priya’s conviction stems from the killing of Talal Abdo Mahdi in 2017. According to Yemeni prosecutors and Talal’s brother, the two were in a romantic relationship, later formalised as a marriage. They claim that Nimisha killed Talal with the help of a nursing assistant, dismembered his body, and dumped it in a water tank.

Nimisha and her husband Tomy strongly dispute this. They claim Talal forged Arabic documents to falsely claim they were married, in order to take over the clinic she had started.

Nimisha, who didn’t know Arabic, had no idea what she had signed. She alleges that Talal confiscated her passport and held her against her will. In a desperate attempt to retrieve the document and leave Yemen, she administered a sedative to Talal, which accidentally led to an overdose and death. She insists there was no intent to kill.

Tomy corroborates her version and adds that Talal had once visited Kerala and was with him during the trip, implying no personal relationship existed between Talal and Nimisha.

Nimisha's supporters claim she was not given proper legal representation during the trial and that Talal’s family, which is politically and socially powerful in Yemen, may have influenced the verdict. They continue to argue for a humanitarian resolution to the case.

For now, the path forward looks uncertain. The only consensus among all parties is that any further misstep—particularly in public messaging—could close the window permanently.

As one source familiar with the case put it, “Right now, everything depends on silence, patience, and finding a way back into the conversation with dignity.”