(CEHURDES/IFEX) – Journalist Nirmal Kumar Budhathoki has been facing serious mental health issues as a result of torture suffered while in military custody. Budhathoki, who reports for the daily “Janadisha”, and her husband, Muma Ram Khanal, were arrested by security forces in Sankhmul, Kathmandu, in May 2002 (see IFEX alert of 28 March 2003). Khanal, […]
(CEHURDES/IFEX) – Journalist Nirmal Kumar Budhathoki has been facing serious mental health issues as a result of torture suffered while in military custody. Budhathoki, who reports for the daily “Janadisha”, and her husband, Muma Ram Khanal, were arrested by security forces in Sankhmul, Kathmandu, in May 2002 (see IFEX alert of 28 March 2003). Khanal, who is associated with the monthly “Dishabodh”, was released approximately two weeks ago. The Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-Maoist) has accepted Khanal as a central committee member. Budhathoki is currently in detention at the Bhairav Nath Barrack in Maharajgunj.
Budhathoki’s children, Parul and Prajwal, visited their mother and found that she has been experiencing psychological problems as a result of torture. They have asked media workers and human rights activists to assist in obtaining their mother’s release. They also said a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been visiting Budhathoki during the past three months.
In a separate incident, a security guard at the Marshyangdi power plant confiscated a camera from reporter Ghanashyam Khadka and attempted to assault him. Khadka, who works for the daily “Kantipur” in Tanahu district, was taking pictures of damages from flooding of the Runa River, where the power plant is located. Power plant administrators subsequently handed the camera over to Chief District Officer Govinda Mani Bhurtel.
CEHURDES condemns any form of torture in custody and urges the authorities to release all journalists who remain in detention. The organisation further asks all parties concerned to respect press freedom and the dignity of media workers.
