Prem Bahadur Khadka from Gulmi, who was imprisoned in the autonomous Kurdistan region of Iraq, has been rescued. Khadka, who was working in an undocumented capacity, was arrested by local police while selling water in the bustling market of Erbil.

‘I was selling water. My visa to stay in Iraq had expired. After the police arrested me, there was no one to take care of me. I was also a citizen of another country who was arrested with me,’ he said. ‘The citizens of another country who were arrested with me were able to leave immediately. I was inside.’

According to Binod Shrestha, president of the Non-Resident Nepali Association, Iraq, the news of Khadka being in jail came to light only on October 30. ‘We hired a lawyer after Khadka was in jail. The lawyer played every role in getting him out of jail,’ he said.

The lawyers’ expenses amounted to $500 and the fine for staying without documents amounted to $550. The Non-Resident Nepali Association Iraq covered the cost of his air ticket and travel documents to repatriate him.