(CEHURDES/IFEX) – CEHURDES condemns the detention of two journalists and the manhandling of around half a dozen media personnel in various parts of the country. According to information received in Kathmandu, on 25 January 2006, police arrested Dil Bahadur Air, a journalist affiliated with “Janamat” weekly, published in the far-western district of Dadeldhura, on charges […]
(CEHURDES/IFEX) – CEHURDES condemns the detention of two journalists and the manhandling of around half a dozen media personnel in various parts of the country.
According to information received in Kathmandu, on 25 January 2006, police arrested Dil Bahadur Air, a journalist affiliated with “Janamat” weekly, published in the far-western district of Dadeldhura, on charges of taking part in a pro-democracy rally organized by opposition parties. Air said he was there to cover the rally.
Similarly, journalists Madhav Aryal, in Palpa, and Tulsi Ram Pandey, Ghanshyam Khadka, Pradip Kafle, Rishi Ram Pokhrel and Narayan Khadka, in Tanahun district, were injured when policemen assaulted them while they were covering protest rallies in their districts.
In the far-western town of Dhangadhi, local authorities have sentenced “Sudur Sandesh” newspaper journalist Lokraj Pandey to three-months’ detention, on charges of taking part in opposition protests. Pandey refutes these allegations.
CEHURDES has noted that incidents of attacks, detention and manhandling of journalists have increased over the past week as pro-democracy protests intensify in the country. The organisation condemns these incidents, that demonstrate the growing intolerance of the state towards the media, and urges the authorities not to target media personnel under any pretext while they are carrying out their duties.
In the far-western district of Kanchanpur, local authorities freed Khem Bhandari, editor and publisher of “Abhiyan” daily newspaper, on 25 January, following negotiations with a mission of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ).
Bhandari was manhandled and arrested in Mahendranagar on 21 January as he was returning to his residence from the office. Reports said the local authorities were preparing to charge him under the Public Security Act. He was also detained for nearly two weeks in February 2005, after the royal takeover (see IFEX alerts of 28 and 21 February 2005).
CEHURDES welcomes the release of Bhandari thanks to the efforts of the FNJ. The organisation urges the authorities not to try to settle their scores with journalists while they are carrying out their duties and to allow them to carry out their professional work in an environment free of fear and intimidation.
