The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that 11 Nepalis have been arrested for allegedly spreading fake news and engaging in cybercrime in connection with the ongoing conflict in West Asia, and over 86,000 Nepalis have registered for rescue.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said that three people were arrested in the UAE, four in Saudi Arabia, three in Qatar and one in Oman. The countries in West Asia that have been at war have been cracking down on false information that is spreading on social media. Those countries have said that people who spread false information on social media will be punished in different ways, such as being arrested or deported.
They were arrested for posting misleading photos and videos on social media, according to MoFA Spokesperson Lok Bahadur Poudel Chhetri at a press conference organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today.
He also stated that 86,420 people have already registered their names in the Consular Services Department’s online registration system, which prioritises the collection of information about Nepalis living abroad. However, according to the ministry, the number of calls reporting unsafe conditions has recently decreased.
The ministry has established hotline services in all 10 Nepali missions abroad and has stated that the collection and coordination of information about Nepalis in trouble is ongoing. The ministry has also stated that a ‘Rapid Response Team’ has been formed in nine missions and is currently active.
According to MoFA Spokesperson Chhetri, the majority of service recipients who contact them raised four major concerns. The main ones are the flight conditions in Kuwait, the time it takes to return to Nepal, labour permit enquiries, among other issues.
He stated that they had managed the Nepalis in ‘transit’ and that two Nepalis in Kuwait had voluntarily stayed despite receiving Saudi visas.
The ministry has prioritised the task of recovering the bodies of Nepali citizens who died for a variety of reasons. Due to flight delays, the bodies of 38 Nepalis have yet to be repatriated to Nepal from countries such as Oman, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain. According to the ministry, nine bodies were returned to Nepal by Kuwait Airlines on April 1, and the process of bringing back the remaining mortal remains is still ongoing.
The MoFA has also stated that Amrit Jha, a 33-year-old Nepali citizen detained by the Iranian government, is safe. The ministry disclosed during the press conference today that he was arrested before the conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States erupted. He is currently in jail and has a case pending in district court, according to the ministry.
MoFA Spokesperson Chhetri stated that there is nothing else that can be done immediately because the case is ongoing. According to him, a local lawyer has already paid Jha a visit. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working to learn more about him and is in contact with the appropriate parties, he stated.
Jha, from Triyuga Municipality-11 in Udayapur district, worked for Iran’s Black Sea Marine LLC. He was travelling from Dubai to Iran to transport fuel when he was apprehended by the Iranian army near Bathar Abbas on his way back. Amrit’s sister, Pooja Jha, informed the ministry of his arrest.
