Sushil Pokhrel received death threats over an article he published regarding unsystematic town planning in Pyuthan.
(Freedom Forum/IFEX) – Freedom Forum’s attention has been drawn to a press freedom violation which occurred in Pyuthan, a hilly district in the midwestern region of Nepal, on October 24, 2011.
Sushil Pokhrel, the editor of the local weekly “Hamro Ekta”, received death threats over an article he published regarding unsystematic town planning in the district.
In an interview with the Media Monitoring Desk of Freedom Forum, Pokhrel said the “land broker Balaju Shrestha and a trader, Resham KC, detained him for a brief period and threatened to kill him, claiming that the news he reported would ruin their business.”
Media workers are attacked and receive death threats from various sectors of the population. Despite the government’s stated commitment to press freedom and journalists’ rights, journalists have not felt safe and free to write about malpractices in society.
Freedom Forum urges the authorities to remain vigilant of possible attacks on Pokhrel and help promote people’s right to information.
