(CPJ/IFEX) – In a 23 May 2002 letter to Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPJ stated that it was deeply disturbed by the 23 May arrest of Tara Neupane, a columnist for the Nepali-language weekly “Sanghu”. At around 3:30 p.m. (local time), plainclothes officers arrived at the Kathmandu district office of the Federation of Nepalese […]
(CPJ/IFEX) – In a 23 May 2002 letter to Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPJ stated that it was deeply disturbed by the 23 May arrest of Tara Neupane, a columnist for the Nepali-language weekly “Sanghu”.
At around 3:30 p.m. (local time), plainclothes officers arrived at the Kathmandu district office of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) and took Neupane into custody. As of 23 May, he was being held at the Kathmandu Valley police office at Ratna Park, according to the FNJ.
Neupane is a veteran journalist who writes mainly about economic and political affairs, according to local sources. The reason for his arrest is unknown, but Nepalese officials have targeted “Sanghu” journalists in the past. The weekly’s editor, Gopal Budhathoki, has been detained twice during the last year (see IFEX alerts of 27, 7 and 6 March 2002 and 19 December 2001).
Most recently, Budhathoki was arrested on 3 March and released on 26 March. On 6 March, Prime Minister Deuba announced that the journalist had been detained for publishing reports that “encouraged and raised morale of the Maoists.”
According to the FNJ, more than 100 journalists have been arrested since the government imposed a state of emergency in November 2001. The state of emergency is scheduled to expire on 26 May.
Neupane’s arrest comes amid an escalating political crisis in Nepal. On 22 May, King Gyanendra acted on Prime Minister Deuba’s recommendation to dissolve the Parliament after the ruling Nepali Congress party rejected the prime minister’s call for an extension of the state of emergency. In response, on 23 May the Nepali Congress suspended the prime minister’s membership in the party.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the prime minister:
– urgently requesting information about the reasons for Neupane’s detention
– stating that, if Neupane was arrested for his journalistic work, he must be released promptly and unconditionally
– noting that in view of the current crisis, it is particularly crucial to ensure that all journalists can work without fear of arrest or official harassment so that an informed Nepalese public is able to participate in the political process
Appeals To
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba
Prime Minister’s Office
Singh Durbar
Kathmandu, Nepal
Fax: +997 1 227286
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
