Journalists abducted and released
(CEHURDES/IFEX) – On 17 August 2004, Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-Maoist) rebels released journalists Krishna Adhikari and Basanta Maharjan of the daily “Spacetime”, in the remote northwestern district of Bajhang. The two journalists were taken hostage on 15 August in the district’s Deulek area. They were accused of travelling in CPN-Maoist stronghold areas without permission […]
Journalist released
(CEHURDES/IFEX) – On 15 August 2004, Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-Maoist) rebels released journalist Durga Thapa. Thapa was released following negotiations led by the vice-president of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ), Bipul Pokhrel. The talks were held at an undisclosed location in Surkhet district. Thapa is a correspondent for the Nepali-language daily “Nepal Samacharpatra” […]
Journalists receive death threats
(CEHURDES/IFEX) – Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-Maoist) rebels recently issued death threats to nine journalists, including Harihar Singh Rathor and Bed Prakash Timsina of Kantipur Publications, in the far western district of Dailekh. The journalists were threatened for failing to support the CPN-Maoists’s movement. The message was conveyed through journalist Dakendra Raj Thapa’s family members. […]
Journalist killed
(CEHURDES/IFEX) – On 11 August 2004, Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-Maoist) rebels reportedly killed journalist and human rights worker Dakendra Raj Thapa at an undisclosed location in the far western district of Dailekh. Thapa was abducted by CPN-Maoist cadres on 26 June. They accused the journalist of spying on their activities and working as an […]
Rebels threaten to cut off journalists’ hands
(CEHURDES/IFEX) – Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-Maoist) rebels have threatened to chop off the hands of journalists Bhupendra Shahi and Kamal Neupane. According to a “Kantipur” daily news report, in July 2004 the two journalists, who are based in Dailekh district, western Nepal, were told by the CPN-Maoists to stop reporting on their activities. Shahi […]
Journalist threatened; newspaper offices looted
(CEHURDES/IFEX) – On the night of 31 July 2004, thieves looted the offices of the weekly “Bimarsha” in Ganabahal, Kathmandu, taking about half a million rupees (approx. US$6,600) in cash and equipment. The editor-in-chief of the weekly “Rajendra”, Kumar Baidya, said that the intruders stole 250,000 rupees in cash and property valued at another 250,000 […]
Journalists abducted, beaten and harassed; others released
(CEHURDES/IFEX) – On 31 July 2004, Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-Maoist) rebels abducted Durga Thapa and five other journalists in Ranibas, Surkhet district. The journalists were accused of not supporting the CPN-Maoist movement. The rebels had warned Thapa 25 days earlier that he could be taken hostage. The journalist is a correspondent for the daily […]
Three journalists attacked, another released
(CEHURDES/IFEX) – On 19 July 2004, Royal Nepal Army (RNA) personnel attacked journalist Ram Mani Misra, sub-editor of the weekly “Nawajagriti” and a Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) central councillor in Siraha district, eastern Nepal. According to Misra, he was attacked by RNA personnel while he was crossing the road to go to his press […]
Four journalists arrested, two others released
(CEHURDES/IFEX) – On 11 July 2004, Nepal Police officers arrested four journalists at Chhekan Shah’s office. The journalists were arrested for having published news about Shah’s alleged involvement in financial irregularities in Rukum district, western Nepal. Shah is the head of the District Animal Care Office. The journalists arrested are district reporters Dil Bahadur Shahi, […]
Television broadcasts disrupted as police raid control rooms of six stations
(CEHURDES/IFEX) – On the night of 16 July 2004, Nepal Police officials raided and vandalised the control rooms of six cable television networks, disrupting transmission to over 12,000 households in Kathmandu. The affected stations included Subisu Cable Television Network, Blue Himalayan Cable TV Network, Cable TV Network of Nepal, Sky Cable TV Network and the […]
Journalist abducted
(CEHURDES/IFEX) – On 7 July 2004, Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-Maoist) rebels abducted journalist Dipendra Kunwar from his ancestral home in Purkot-3, Gulmi, a remote western district. A news reporter for the daily “Naya Disha”, published in Butwal, western Nepal, Kunwar is also an Executive Committee member of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists’ (FNJ) Rupandehi […]
Journalists and media workers abducted, arrested and attacked
(CEHURDES/IFEX) – On 26 June 2004, Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-Maoist) rebels abducted journalist Dekendra Raj Thapa in Dailekh district, western Nepal. They also abducted Kamal Neupane, the secretary of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists’ (FNJ) Dailekh section and editor of the local “Asala Shasan” bulletin. A Dailekh district reporter for the state-owned Radio Nepal, […]
Journalist arrested
(CEHURDES/IFEX) – On 24 June 2004, at approximately 11:30 a.m. (local time), plainclothes security forces agents arrested journalist Rewati Sapkota at his residence in Chabahil. A reporter with the daily “Rajdhani”, Sapkota was released after a few hours in detention. The agents took him to an unknown destination, saying only that it was for an […]
Journalist detained and beaten
(CEHURDES/IFEX) – On 17 June 2004, Royal Nepal Army (RNA) officials assaulted journalist Subid Guragain in Sunsari district, eastern Nepal. Guragain is a local reporter for the daily “Rajdhani”, published in Kathmandu, and vice-chairperson of the Sunsari section of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ). The journalist published two separate news reports criticising the RNA […]
Journalist abducted, another threatened
(CEHURDES/IFEX) – On 7 June 2004, Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-Maoists) rebels abducted journalist Parek Raj Shahi in Sukatia village, Kalikot district while he was sleeping at his home. He is a local correspondent for the Kathmandu-based daily “Rajdhani”. According to an appeal issued by his family, the journalist’s whereabouts and the reasons for his […]
Driver of media vehicle killed in landmine explosion, security forces stop Kantipur Publications van
(CEHURDES/IFEX) – On 27 May 2004, Kanyaras Gurung, the driver of a media vehicle, was killed and two others were injured when they drove over a landmine planted by Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-Maoist) rebels in Tanahun district. The vehicle was carrying newspapers for the daily “Annapurna Post” from Kathmandu to Pokhara on the second […]