Center for Human Rights and Democratic Studies

(CEHURDES/IFEX) – At least 10 journalists were injured, one of them seriously, when police intervened in a peaceful demonstration by journalists in Kalaiya, the headquarters of the southern district of Bara, on 9 June 2005. According to reports, Guru Prasad Gautam, secretary of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists’ (FNJ) Bara district chapter, was injured seriously […]

(CEHURDES/IFEX) – The following is a 28 May 2005 CEHURDES statement: CEHURDES condemns government’s order to close down a private radio production house Kathmandu, May 28 – Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Studies (CEHURDES) condemns the Nepal government’s latest order to close down a leading private-sector radio production house in the country. On Friday […]

(CEHURDES/IFEX) – Late in the evening on 19 May 2005, Maoist insurgents seized transmission equipment from Ghodaghodi FM radio station, which is based in Attariya, in the western district of Kailali. Ghodaghodi is the only radio station operating in this region. According to station officials, a group of armed rebels entered the FM station’s offices […]

(CEHURDES/IFEX) – Maheshwor Pahari, a journalist with the Pokhara-based weekly “Rastriya Swabhiman”, was illegally arrested by security forces for the fourth time this week. Pahari was first arrested by army officers on 4 January 2004. His whereabouts were only revealed six months later. He was given a three-month detention letter by the District Administration Office […]

(CEHURDES/IFEX) – CEHURDES is concerned about the safety of journalist Som Sharma. Sharma was abducted by an armed group of Maoist insurgents from his rented apartment at Mangalbare bazaar, in the eastern district of Ilam, sometime during the week of 9 May 2005. Sharma was previously a reporter for the Ilam-based weekly “Aankha” (“The Eye”), […]

(CEHURDES/IFEX) – The following is a 3 May 2005 CEHURDES press statement: Nepali press continues to face unprecedented restrictions Kathmandu, May 03 – Nepali media continue to face assaults from both the government and Maoist rebels with unprecedented restrictions imposed upon the media since the royal move of February 1, said a summary of the […]

(CEHURDES/IFEX) – On 24 January 2005, a group of people displaced as a result of the country’s internal conflict attempted to assault journalist Harihar Singh Rathor, in Dullu, Dailekh district, western Nepal. The district reporter for Kantipur publications was harassed by the group during the distribution of education materials organised by the Dailekh-district based Dalit […]

(CEHURDES/IFEX) – On 9 January 2005, the security forces released journalist Sita Ram Parajuli in the Ratna Park area, after detaining him for 13 days in an undisclosed military detention center. Parajuli, executive editor of the weekly “Shram”, was arrested on 28 December 2004 in Kathmandu’s New Baneswor district. He was then blindfolded and taken […]

(CEHURDES/IFEX) – On 29 December 2004, a local resistance group in the Nepal-India border area, which was formed to oppose the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-Maoist) rebels, threatened to kill journalist Krishna Bahadur Karki in Nawalparasi district, western Nepal. Karki, president of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists’ (FNJ) Nawalparasi section, who received the threat via […]

(CEHURDES/IFEX) – On 2 January 2004, Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-Maoist) rebels assaulted journalist Netra K.C., of the BBC Nepali Service, and French journalist Vincent S. Prado, in Syalapakha, Rukum district. The rebels threatened to kill the two journalists and prevented them from gathering information even though they displayed their press identification. They also confiscated […]

(CEHURDES/IFEX) – On 26 December 2004, Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-Maoist) rebels released journalists J. Pandey and Shivani Singh Tharu, in Achham district, western Nepal. Pandey and Tharu were abducted by rebels from the Binayak Village Development Committee, Achham district, on 17 December. Pandey was accompanying Tharu, who was travelling in the area to gather […]

(CEHURDES/IFEX) – For the last week journalist Shakti Kuman Pun has been detained by the security forces in Rukum district. Pun, a reporter for the daily “Rajdhani”, was arrested by the security forces during a military operation in rebel stronghold areas. The daily “Nepal Samacharpatra” had previously reported in its 24 November 2004 edition that […]

(CEHURDES/IFEX) – On 12 December 2004, Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-Maoists) rebels locked up journalist Shankar Thapa’s house, in Deuthala, Laxminagar Village Development Committee (VDC), Doti district. Thapa is a correspondent for the state-owned Radio Nepal station and president of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists’ (FNJ) Doti-Accham section. The journalist was reportedly targeted for not […]

(CEHURDES/IFEX) – On 11 December 2004, a group of unidentified armed men vandalised the office and press of the weekly magazine “Ekkaisau Satabdi” (“21st Century”), in Anamnagar, Kathmandu. According to a statement issued by the editor of “Bharat Raj Pokhrel” magazine, about half a dozen armed men forcibly entered the “Ekkaisau Satabdi” office at around […]

(CEHURDES/IFEX) – On 6 December 2004, Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-Maoist) rebels released journalist Tulasi Thapa Kshitija. Kshitija, chief reporter for the weekly “Panchthar Times” and a reporter for the weekly “Aakha”, published in Panchthar and Ilam districts, was held captive by the rebels for 46 hours in Panchthar district, eastern Nepal. The journalist was […]

(CEHURDES/IFEX) – Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-Maoists) rebels have taken journalist Shakti Kumar Pun hostage in Rukum, a western district of Nepal. In its 24 November 2004 edition, the daily “Nepal Samacharpatra” reported that the rebels took Pun into custody for a 35-day period, along with six other people, including schoolteacher Lal Bahadur Gharti. They […]