Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad Or Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar Who Played Significant Role In Postponement Of Nimisha Priya's Execution
The execution of Kerala-born nurse and entrepreneur Nimisha Priya in Yemen has been temporarily postponed, offering a moment of relief to her family and supporters following a series of high-stakes interventions. Central to this development is Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar, also known as Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, whose diplomatic efforts in last couple of days have managed to pause what seemed inevitable.
Convicted in 2017 for the murder of her Yemeni business partner Talal Abdo Mahdi, Nimisha Priya was on death row in Sana’a, Yemen’s capital, with her execution scheduled for July 16, 2025. India’s lack of formal diplomatic ties with the war-torn nation had left few viable channels for negotiation. However, the intervention of Kanthapuram and his emissaries marked a turning point, and that has now come as reprieve for Nimisha.
Acting through emissaries on the ground, Musliyar, reportedly initiated dialogue with the victim’s family – most notably a relative who also holds positions as Chief Justice of the Hudaidah State Court and a member of Yemen’s Shura Council. A important meeting held at 10 AM local time in Yemen led to the official postponement of the execution, reportedly at the request of Kanthapuram himself. Discussions are ongoing, and the victim’s family has yet to decide whether to pardon Priya or accept financial compensation, known as diyat or “blood money,” under Islamic law.
Writing on Facebook, he stated, “Prayers are seeing the results. The verdict extending the death sentence of Nimishapriya has been officially received. May Allah have mercy on all who worked and prayed for this.”
Born in 1931 in Kanthapuram near Kozhikode, Musliyar is one of India’s most influential Islamic scholars and the current Grand Mufti, a position his followers bestowed on him in India. Known for his leadership in the All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama and for establishing numerous charitable and educational institutions, his work often transcends religious scholarship and enters the realm of humanitarian intervention.
In the Nimisha Priya case, his appeal to respected Yemeni Sufi scholar Sheikh Habib Umar helped open doors previously shut to Indian negotiators. His team also reportedly offered a substantial financial compensation – estimated at around US Dollar 40,000 – through community trusts.
The stakes are deeply personal for Priya, who moved to Yemen in 2008 as a nurse. Her conviction arose from the alleged murder of Mahdi following disputes over her clinic. She has maintained that she acted in self-defence after repeated harassment, sedating Mahdi with the intention of escape, only for the situation to end fatally. His body was later found dismembered in a water tank, and Priya was arrested while trying to flee the country.
“The execution of Nimisha Priya, which was scheduled to take place tomorrow (16/07/25), has been postponed to another day. This is the verdict given by the Public Prosecution of Specialized Criminal Court, Republic of Yemen, today,” Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar wrote on on Facebook after sharing this.
Despite multiple legal appeals, her sentence was upheld in 2023 by Yemen’s Supreme Judicial Council. India’s formal options were limited due to Yemen’s civil conflict and the closure of its diplomatic mission. Campaigns by the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council and legal experts such as advocate Subhash Chandran K R helped keep the issue in public view.
Now, with the execution paused, attention remains on whether a lasting resolution can be brokered in Yemen. On Monday, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging diplomatic involvement. But for now, it is Musliyar’s initiative- fuelled by religious compassion and strategic outreach – that has granted Priya a crucial reprieve.
