(CEHURDES/IFEX) – The following is a 30 August 2005 CEHURDES press release: CEHURDES urges Maoists not to harass journalists, demands probe into another incident Kathmandu, August 30–Maoist rebels have freed three journalists in eastern Nepal after taking them into custody for three days. The rebels had taken Tikaram Neti, a reporter with the “Nepal Samacharpatra” […]
(CEHURDES/IFEX) – The following is a 30 August 2005 CEHURDES press release:
CEHURDES urges Maoists not to harass journalists, demands probe into another incident
Kathmandu, August 30–Maoist rebels have freed three journalists in eastern Nepal after taking them into custody for three days.
The rebels had taken Tikaram Neti, a reporter with the “Nepal Samacharpatra” daily, associate editor of “Purbanchal” daily Subrat Neupane and associate editor of “Bibechana” daily Madan Kharel on Thursday while they were visiting Khudunabari, in Jhapa district, on a reporting assignment.
CEHURDES condemns the Maoists for preventing journalists from carrying out their duties and harassing and detaining them for no reason.
CEHURDES urges the rebels to honour international humanitarian laws, not to target journalists under any pretext and allow them to work in an environment free of fear and intimidation.
In a separate incident, a group of masked men carrying arms barged into the house of journalist Ramraj Pokhrel in Butwal, western Nepal, and threatened to shoot him when he inquired about their identity.
A member of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) Rupandehi district unit, Pokhrel was active in recent peaceful protests demanding press freedom and freedom of expression in the country.
CEHURDES condemns the threats and harassment of journalist Pokhrel and demands that the Nepalese government investigate the incident and bring the culprits to justice. We also urge the government to seriously look into the increasing number of incidents of threats and harassment against journalists and fulfill its responsibility to provide adequate security for them.
