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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kathmandu has confirmed that Nepali citizen Amrit Jha, detained in Iran, is safe and has met with a lawyer.
Amid rising tensions in the Middle East, the Ministry confirmed about two weeks ago that 33-year-old Amrit Jha from Udayapur was detained in Iran.
However, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in discussions with BBC News Nepali, Iranian security forces detained him before the war began.
Jha is a crew member and seaman working with Black Sea Marine LLC, a company based in the United Arab Emirates.
According to his family, Jha was taken into custody near the Strait of Hormuz by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.
His family shared that Jha had traveled from Dubai to Iran to collect oil before any attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran. BBC reached out via email to the employer company for details about Jha, but has not yet received a response.
Triyuga Municipality Chief Basantkumar Basnet stated, “A few days ago, I contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was informed that efforts are underway at the ministerial level. We are waiting for concrete results.”
“They reached there by ship from Dubai. According to Amrit’s family, 6-7 people have been detained. We were informed by the family after they received a message from one of the detainees. Following that, I immediately sent a request letter to the Ministry for their release.”
According to Basnet, Jha has worked for the shipping company for 12 years and was promoted to captain two years ago, as confirmed by his family.
‘My Son Is Not a Criminal’
Amrit’s parents, Govind and Prabhavati Jha, run a grocery store in Gaighat, Udayapur.
His mother, Prabhavati, shared that Amrit completed his schooling in Udayapur and later studied up to 12th grade in Kathmandu. Afterwards, he went to Thailand to study navigation and began working on cargo ships.
Speaking on the phone from Gaighat, Prabhavati said, “We have no information about his current condition. Our wish is that my son returns home soon. We are taking efforts but have not yet received any updates.”
She added, “I want to appeal to the Iranian government that my son is not a criminal. I do not believe he has committed any crime. Once the situation stabilizes, please kindly release our son. This is our humble request.”
She asserted that her son has been regularly employed by the shipping company for decades, usually receiving leave every 9 to 9 months.
“Everything was running smoothly, everything was fine. This time was no different. But due to this problem or the war, we don’t know exactly what happened. I used to talk to him regularly, and he said everything was fine.”
She continued, “Previously he used to come and go quickly, but this time it’s been almost two years since he was supposed to come home. We don’t know what happened during this time.”
What We Know About Amrit Jha’s Detention
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lok Bahadur Kshetri, told the BBC that the case against Jha is currently under review by an Iranian court and that he has met with a lawyer.
“Amrit Jha’s detention is not related to the war; the incident occurred before the war began. We made efforts to provide consular access, which succeeded last week when a lawyer met with him. During the meeting, he appeared to be in good health.”
Officials also confirmed that other Indian nationals detained along with him are safe.
According to the Ministry, a legal professional coordinated by the Nepali Consul General in Iran visited Jha at the place of detention.
However, due to the ongoing war in Iran and other factors causing delays, the legal process concerning Jha’s case is taking longer than usual. Kshetri said, “Perhaps the issue would have been resolved sooner if there had been no war.”
He noted that delays have also been caused by staff and courts being on holiday due to the New Year.
Additionally, the war has damaged civilian and transportation infrastructure, complicating movement, which has further delayed hearings for all cases involved.
The Nepalese government is closely monitoring this issue and has assured ongoing efforts for Jha’s release.
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