(CPJ/IFEX) – In a 12 June 2001 letter to Nepalese Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, CPJ expressed concern over the continued detention of three leading Nepalese journalists. CPJ called for their immediate and unconditional release. The three journalists are Yubaraj Ghimere, editor of the Nepali-language daily “Kantipur”, Kailash Shirohiya, managing director of “Kantipur” and its […]
(CPJ/IFEX) – In a 12 June 2001 letter to Nepalese Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, CPJ expressed concern over the continued detention of three leading Nepalese journalists. CPJ called for their immediate and unconditional release.
The three journalists are Yubaraj Ghimere, editor of the Nepali-language daily “Kantipur”, Kailash Shirohiya, managing director of “Kantipur” and its English-language sister publication “The Kathmandu Post”, and Binod Raj Gyawali, director of both publications.
All three journalists were arrested on 6 June, in the aftermath of the apparent murder of King Birendra and other members of the royal family. On Tuesday 11 June, the prisoners appeared in court for the first time since their arrest.
So far, the government has failed to bring formal charges against the three men. Upon their arrest, they were told that they were being charged with treason because of an editorial written by a Maoist rebel leader that was published in “Kantipur” on 6 June. The editorial called on Nepalese citizens to reject the newly crowned King Gyanendra as a “puppet of Indian expansionist forces.”
If convicted of treason, they could face at least three years in prison.
In today’s court session, the judge ordered government prosecutors to file formal charges by Friday 15 June, and ruled that the suspects could remain in detention until that date. The court rejected a government petition to detain the men for another twenty-five days while the investigation proceeds.
CPJ is especially concerned that Ghimere, Shirohiya and Gyawali have been denied access to the telephone since last Friday, when a BBC reporter interviewed Ghimere via cellular phone.
CPJ is deeply disturbed that the Nepalese government has deprived three journalists of their liberty for publishing politically controversial views. Democracies depend on the free exchange of information and ideas. It is therefore incomprehensible to CPJ that the peaceful expression of an opinion could ever be classified as a crime, much less treason.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the prime minister:
– asking that he release Ghimere, Shirohiya and Gyawali at once without conditions of any kind
Appeals To
His Excellency Girija Prasad Koirala
Prime Minister, Kingdom of Nepal
Office of the Prime Minister
Singh Durbar
Kathmandu, Nepal
Fax: +977 1 227 286
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
