Family of Nepali National Amrit Jha Await News Following Reports of Release from Iranian Detention

Kathmandu. Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal wrote on his X (Twitter) account on the night of Baisakh 2: 'Amrit Jha, who was arrested in Iran, has been released. Our Honorary Consulate General in Iran and the Embassy in Qatar are both in contact with him. Our team is working to bring him out of Iran.'

Following the Foreign Minister's post, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement saying: 'The Ministry has received information unofficially through the Nepali Honorary Consul General in Tehran that a local court has ordered the release of Nepali citizen Amrit Jha, who was arrested in Iran.'

The statement noted that efforts are ongoing through the Honorary Consul General in Tehran and the Nepali Embassy in Doha to obtain detailed information regarding the order and to complete the necessary procedures for Jha's return to Nepal.

However, two days have passed and Jha has yet to make contact with his family. While the family was initially relieved by the news, they are now anxious due to the lack of communication. Amrit's sister, Puja Jha, said: 'We were very happy to hear the news of my brother's release, but there has been no contact to date. We do not know when he will arrive, and we have received no information from the government.'

Before the news of his release, Amrit had spoken with Puja, telling her, 'I am fine, do not worry, I will return to Nepal soon.' She added, 'We were very happy after that conversation and the subsequent news, but there is still no contact with Amrit, and the government is not saying when he will return.'

Khemnarayan Yadav (Rahul) from Udayapur, who has been advocating for Amrit's release on behalf of the family, expressed frustration that the government has not facilitated contact between Amrit and his family. He stated, 'It seems the government announced the release to take credit, but shouldn't the family be informed and put in contact? They are causing more stress to the family by making this a media spectacle.'

Foreign Ministry spokesperson and Joint Secretary Lok Bahadur Chhetri confirmed that the ministry has received unofficial information regarding Jha's release. He said, 'We have received unofficial information that Amrit Jha has been released, and coordination is underway to bring him back to Nepal.' He added that the ministry is in regular contact with the relevant Nepali embassies.

Additionally, spokesperson Chhetri stated that the Foreign Ministry is working on plans to safely bring back 10 other Nepali citizens currently in Tehran, Iran.

'There are 10 Nepalis working there for various jobs. All of them have come into contact with the Government of Nepal. Efforts are being made to bring them back safely,' he said.

Amrit was arrested before the conflict between Iran, Israel, and the United States escalated. He had been held in an Iranian prison, and his case was being heard in a district court.

The 33-year-old Jha, from Triyuga Municipality-11, Udayapur, was employed by the Black Sea Marine LLC company in Iran. His sister, Puja Jha, had informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that he was arrested by the Iranian military in Bandar Abbas while returning from transporting fuel from Dubai.

According to a complaint filed by Amrit's family with the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was claimed that Amrit was being held in the Bandar Abbas prison. Jha's relatives had met with the then Foreign Minister Balananda Sharma and Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai, requesting their intervention for his release.

Amrit's permanent address is in Mahottari. His father had moved to Udayapur for work. Although their permanent address is in Mahottari, the entire family resides in Udayapur.