‘I Love You, Mummy’: Daughter’s Plea As Kerala Nurse Nimisha Faces Gallows In Yemen

Last Updated:July 28, 2025, 21:50 IST

Mishel, the 13-year-old daughter of Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya, has appealed for her mother's release after her execution was postponed.

Nimisha Priya is lodged in a jail in Sana'a in Yemen.

The 13-year-old daughter of Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya, who is facing the death penalty in Yemen, has arrived in the country to appeal for mercy on behalf of her mother, whom she had not seen in over a decade.

Mishel, who was accompanied by her father Tomy Thomas and Global Peace Initiative founder Dr KA Paul, made an emotional appeal in Malayalam and English, saying, “I love you, mummy. Please help bring my mother back home. I so badly want to see her. I miss you, mummy."

Tomy also made a direct appeal to the authorities. “Please save my wife Nimisha Priya and help her reach her hometown," he was quoted as saying by India Today.

Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya has been on death row in Yemen for the alleged murder of her former business partner Talal Abdo Mehdi in 2017. Her execution had been scheduled for July 16 but extensive diplomatic interventions contributed to a temporary reprieve, even as serious challenges still remain.

The Indian government and the Indian Embassy are providing Nimisha Priya with legal assistance, visa support, and consular visits at no cost. A team, including legal experts and Sharia scholars, is being sent to Yemen.

‘Nimisha Has Become Daughter Of India’

Under Sharia law, the family of the victim holds the right to grant a pardon in exchange for diyah, or blood money. Abdelfattah Mehdi, the brother of the deceased, rejected the possibility of clemency, saying, “There can be no pardon for the crime."

Dr KA Paul expressed his gratitude to the Yemeni authorities and the Talal family, who are reportedly involved in the negotiations. “Nimisha’s only daughter did not see her for 10 years. Mishel is here. I want to thank the Talal family. As soon as you release Nimisha, hopefully tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, we shall be very grateful. God will bless you," he said in a video.

“The nation of Yemen will bring investments and prosperity when you address the world because Nimisha has become the daughter of India and the symbol of peace. What you are doing is an amazing gesture," he further said.

Dr Paul claimed last week that Nimisha Priya will be released after the cancellation of the death sentence after days and nights of extensive efforts by Yemeni and Indian leaders.

No official clarification has come from both governments. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had earlier said that it had appointed a lawyer to assist Priya’s family in navigating the complex legal process in Yemen.

Nimisha Priya moved to Yemen in 2008 to work as a nurse before starting her own clinic. In 2017, she was arrested for allegedly murdering her Yemeni business partner. Investigators claimed she attempted to sedate Talal Abdo Mehdi to retrieve her passport, which he had reportedly taken from her, but the sedatives proved fatal.

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News world ‘I Love You, Mummy’: Daughter’s Plea As Kerala Nurse Nimisha Faces Gallows In Yemen