Rajendra Adhikari and Bandu Raj Parajuli were threatened by a member of a workers' union after reporting on a transportation syndicate.
UPDATE: Journalist threatened (IFJ, 20 April 2012)
(Freedom Forum/IFEX) – Freedom Forum is concerned about a press freedom violation which occurred in Pokhara, a city in western Nepal, on April 10, 2012.
Rajendra Adhikari, publisher and editor of the local Dawn News daily, and the paper’s photojournalist Bandu Raj Parajuli received a death threat from Gunda Raj Shrestha, a member of a workers’ union affiliated to the Maoist party. The threat was connected to the paper’s reports on the transportation syndicate published in March.
In a telephone call, Shrestha warned the editor and photojournalist that if they continue to cover the syndicate, he would kill them.
Journalists in Nepal are the butt of attacks and threats merely because of their coverage of malpractices. This is just the latest example of this.
Freedom Forum, therefore, urges the local administration to apprehend Shrestha and mete out the appropriate punishment, and provide security to the journalists.
In a separate incident, a journalist suffered an injury while working in the capital city, Kathmandu.
Subin Shrestha, editor of the online media outlet onlinepatrika.com, was injured while taking photographs of police clashing with protesters during a torch rally organized by a faction of the ruling Maoist party. The incident occurred on the evening of April 11.
Shrestha’s eye happened to come into slight contact with one of the fire torches. He was admitted to the Tilaganga Eye Hospital for treatment. According to the doctors, the lower part of the pupil was slightly burned and he needed to rest for a few days.
Freedom Forum wishes the journalist a speedy recovery and urges the concerned party cadres and the police administration to respect journalists’ rights.
