Nepal

(CEHURDES/IFEX) – On 7 February 2003, the Nepalese authorities released three detainees, including two journalists, further to a Supreme Court order. Those freed on 7 February include Om Sharma and Krishna Prasad Khanal, who are both journalists affiliated with Kathmandu-based pro-Maoist newspapers. Sharma, a Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) council member, spent nearly 15 months […]

(CEHURDES/IFEX) – CEHURDES reports that two journalists have been rearrested shortly after their release from custody. The organisation condemns this action taken by the authorities and urges them to respect press freedom and freedom of expression and release all the journalists who remain in detention. On 22 January 2003, the authorities rearrested journalist Bharat Sigdel, […]

(CEHURDES/IFEX) – According to CEHURDES’s sources, plainclothes security forces agents have been surrounding the house of Kishor Shrestha, editor of “Janaastha” weekly, since 8 January 2003. They have also harassed the journalist’s family and attempted to arrest him. Security forces raided Shrestha’s house (located in Nakhu, Lalitpur district) on the morning of 8 January. Federation […]

(CEHURDES/IFEX) – CEHURDES welcomes the release of journalist Dev Kumar Yadav after nearly 13 months in detention on allegations of being a Maoist. CEHURDES urges the authorities to release all remaining journalists in detention and respect press freedom and freedom of expression. Yadav, Siraha correspondent for the pro-Maoist weekly “Janadisha”, was released on bail on […]

(RSF/IFEX) – The body of journalist Ambika Timsina was found on 12 December 2002 near the village of Pathari, in the southeastern province of Koshi. He had been shot and beaten. The previous day, eight masked men had kidnapped him from his home, saying they wanted to “settle a few things” with him. Noting suspicions […]

(CEHURDES/IFEX) – On 16 December 2002, Nepalese authorities released Govinda Acharya and Chandraman Shrestha, editor and managing editor, respectively, of the pro-Maoist weekly “Janadesh”. The two journalists were released in the presence of Gopal Budhathoki, Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) vice-president. Acharya was arrested by security forces on 26 November 2001, the first day of […]

(CEHURDES/IFEX) – The following is a 28 November 2002 CEHURDES press statement: NEPAL JOURNALISTS, RIGHTS ACTIVISTS FILE COMPENSATION CASES Kathmandu, Nov. 28 – A total of 16 journalists and human rights activists filed separate cases against the government at the district court of Kathmandu on Thursday, seeking compensation for their “illegal” detention during the nine-month […]

(RSF/IFEX) – The following is an RSF press release: Report to the United Nations about human rights abuses United Nations urged to intervene to protect human rights in Nepal In a report given to United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Sergio Vieira de Mello today, Reporters Without Borders (Reporters Sans Frontières) and the Nepalese […]

(CEHURDES/IFEX) – CEHURDES condemns the treatment of journalists by the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-Maoist) rebels and calls on them to respect the basic norms of media freedom and freedom of expression. CEHURDES also calls on CPN rebel leaders to cease attacking journalists and ensure that they are free to carry out their activities. On […]

(CEHURDES/IFEX) – CEHURDES denounces the actions taken by the security forces against journalists in different parts of the country and urges them to respect the universal principles of media freedom and freedom of expression. On 12 November 2002, the police took into custody Tikaram Rai, editor and publisher of “Aparanha”, under the Public Offence Act. […]

(IFJ/IFEX) – In a 12 November 2002 letter to Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand, the IFJ expressed its deep concern about the fate of journalist Tika Ram Rai, editor of the daily “Aparanha”. According to the IFJ’s information, on 9 November, the newspaper published a story concerning corruption in the police department and implicated the […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – In a 12 November 2002 letter to Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand, CPJ condemned the 12 November arrest of Tikaram Rai, editor of the Nepali-language daily “Aparanha”. Rai was arrested in Kathmandu following the complaint of a senior police officer accused of bribery in a recent “Aparanha” article. Rai is being detained at […]

(CEHURDES/IFEX) – The Nepalese authorities released six pro-Maoist journalists on 5 November 2002. Dipendra Rokaya, Dipak Sapkota and Dhan Bahadur Magar, of the weekly “Janadesh”, Ishwor Chandra Gyawali and Manarishi Dhital, of the monthly “Dishabodh”, and Meena Tiwari, of the monthly “Eikyabadhata”, were released from three different prisons in the capital, Kathmandu. The journalists were […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a CPJ press release: NEPAL: CPJ WELCOMES RELEASE OF FIVE JOURNALISTS New York, November 5, 2002—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) welcomes today’s release of five journalists, four of whom have been imprisoned for nearly a year on suspicion of supporting Maoist rebels in Nepal. The journalists released today are […]

(RSF/IFEX) – On 19 October 2002, RSF expressed outrage over the “policeman of the year” award granted to Kathmandu Police Chief Bikram Singh Thapa by Crown Prince Paras Bir Bikram Shah. Chief Bikram Singh Thapa was reportedly involved in the death by torture of pro-Maoist newspaper editor Krishna Sen earlier this year. “This reward to […]

(RSF/IFEX) – The following is a 15 October 2002 RSF press release: The death in detention of journalist Krishna Sen and a regime’s lies Nepal’s security services were triumphant when they announced the arrest of pro-Maoist newspaper editor Krishna Sen and two other journalists on 20 May this year. They presented him as a top […]