Nepal Secures Release of Citizen Detained by Iran Near Strait of Hormuz

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that it received information, through the Honorary Consul General of Nepal in Tehran, that a local court had issued an order for the release of Jha, who had been arrested in Iran.

"Efforts are ongoing through Nepal's Honorary Consul General in Tehran and the Nepali Embassy in Doha to obtain detailed information about the order and to complete the necessary procedures to facilitate his return to Nepal," the ministry said.

Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal confirmed the development, saying that Nepali authorities are in contact with him and working to facilitate his return.

"Amrit Jha, who was in custody in Iran, has been released. Our honorary consulate general in Iran and the embassy in Qatar are in touch with him. Our team is working to bring him out of Iran," Khanal wrote on X on Wednesday.

Officials had earlier said that Jha was among crew members taken into custody from Qeshm Island, near the Strait of Hormuz, although details of the arrest, including the date and reason, were not confirmed. He was reportedly working as a seaman on a ship near the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow sea corridor between Iran and Oman through which around 20 per cent of the world's oil passes.

Meanwhile, the Nepali government expressed appreciation and gratitude to the Government of the United Arab Emirates for granting a pardon to 128 Nepali inmates on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan.

The foreign ministry said it highly values this gesture on humanitarian grounds as a reflection of cordial bilateral relations between Nepal and the United Arab Emirates.

The decision to grant the pardon was taken following a request by the Nepali government through the Embassy of Nepal in Abu Dhabi.

- IANS