KATHMANDU, April 3: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has confirmed that Nepali national Amrit Jha, currently under the custody of the Iranian authorities, is safe.
At a press briefing on Friday, the MoFA said the 33-year-old is being held in a prison in Iran. It clarified that Jha was arrested prior to the recent escalation of tensions in the Middle East.
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According to the MoFA, a case against Jha is currently under consideration at a district court in Iran. “As the matter is sub judice, there is no scope for immediate intervention,” said MoFA Spokesperson, Lok Bahadur Chhetri.
The MoFA also stated that Jha’s detention is not linked to the ongoing regional conflict. It added that officials are in regular contact with relevant authorities and are continuing to gather further information on the case.
A permanent resident of Triyuga Municipality-11 in Udayapur, Jha had travelled to Dubai for employment two years ago. He was working as a ship captain on an oil tanker and had previously studied in Bangkok, Thailand. Officials said he had travelled to Iran on multiple occasions in connection with his work.