(FNJ/IFEX) – On 17 April 2006, at least eight journalists were injured when security personnel attacked them while they were covering a peaceful protest organized by the Seven Party Alliance in Sunsari, an eastern district. The security personal deliberately attacked them despite knowing that they were journalists. The injured journalists are Amar Khadka, Santosh Yadav, […]
(FNJ/IFEX) – On 17 April 2006, at least eight journalists were injured when security personnel attacked them while they were covering a peaceful protest organized by the Seven Party Alliance in Sunsari, an eastern district. The security personal deliberately attacked them despite knowing that they were journalists. The injured journalists are Amar Khadka, Santosh Yadav, Suman Puri, Som Nath Bastola, Khagendra Upreti, Gajendra Dahal, Bimal Man Shrestha and Prem Bastola.
Also on 17 April, Guru Gautam, a journalist and also the secretary of the Bara chapter of the Human Rights and Peace Society, and Gokul Ghorsaini, a correspondent of “Nepal Samacharpatra” daily and FNJ Central Council member, were brutally beaten by security personnel. They were reporting on a peaceful protest demonstration organized by the Seven Party Alliance when six security personnel surrounded them and beat them brutally even though they clarified that they were journalists covering the event. During the beating, Ghorsaini sustained facial injuries and Gautam’s hand and leg were injured. Two people lost their lives when security personnel opened fire on the demonstrators during the protest demonstration.
In a separate development, also on 17 April, at 11 p.m. (local time) Rajandra Gautam, a journalist affiliated with FNJ’s Lalitpur chapter, was arrested at his house at Kushuti, Lalitpur. According to family sources, his whereabouts has not been disclosed.
On 18 April, “Kantipur Daily” reporter Balram Baniya, Kantipur Television reporter Bimal Gautam, cameraman Raju Timilsina and Kantipur Television driver Shiva Ram Thapa were arrested at the Central Secretariat complex in Singhadurbar at 1:00 p.m., while they were there to report on the protest organized by civil servants against the government. They were allowed to enter Central Secretariat complex but when they tried to enter the Home Ministry to cover the news, they were taken into custody by police and were taken to Hanumandhoka District Police Office. According to Kantipur Television journalist Saurav Dhakal, Home Minister Kamal Thapa mistreated the journalists. FNJ has not been able to communicate with the journalists since the incident, as their mobile phones have been switched off.
The FNJ has condemned Rajandra Gautam’s arrest and asked for the immediate disclosure of his whereabouts and for his release. It has also condemned the continuous arrests and attacks on journalists while they are doing their professional duties, and demanded their immediate release.