(RSF/IFEX) – RSF is protesting the arrest of three Nepalese journalists. According to RSF’s sources, on 20 April 1999, police raided the Nepal Chhapakhana printing house at Lagantole (Kathmandu) and seized 20,000 copies of the weekly “Janadesh”. The newspaper is close to the Maoist movement, and seemed to contain a controversial interview of a Maoist […]
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF is protesting the arrest of three Nepalese journalists.
According to RSF’s sources, on 20 April 1999, police raided the Nepal
Chhapakhana printing house at Lagantole (Kathmandu) and seized 20,000 copies
of the weekly “Janadesh”. The newspaper is close to the Maoist movement, and
seemed to contain a controversial interview of a Maoist leader. According to
the assistant editor of “Janadesh”, policemen arrested Dhana Bahadur Magar,
the office manager, and Sher Bahadur Basnet, a press assistant, at the
printing works. Meanwhile, police also arrested Krishna Shen, editor of
“Janadesh”, as he was on his way to his office in a secret location.
**Updates IFEX alert of 21 April and 6 April 1999**
On 1 April, the Kathmandu Valley police had arrested three journalists from
the tabloid “Jwala” – publisher Chun Bahadur Gurung, journalists Danda
Bahadur Gurung and Deepak Khanal – and seized computers and printing
equipment. On 5 April, Bhim Prakash Sharma, publisher of the weekly
“Jana-Ahwan”, and Om Sharma, executive editor, were also arrested by police
in Kathmandu. The same day, a freelance photographer named Arun Pant was
arrested by plainclothes policemen, his studio was ransacked and his films
were seized. Similarly, Rishi Raj Baral, a consulting editor of the weekly
“Yojana”, was also arrested.
As of 22 April, Chun Bahadur Gurung, Danda Bahadur Gurung, Deepak Khanal,
Bhim Prakash Sharma and Om Sharma are still being held in Kathmandu, without
formal court cases having been filed against them.
All the arrests occurred in the context of the “war” between the Nepalese
authorites and Maoist guerrillas in the south of the country. The newspapers
mentioned are suspected of having links with the rebels.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the Prime Minister:
Civil
and Political Rights, Article 19 of which guarantees the freedom to inform
and to be informed
released if they were exercising their professional duties, or expressed
their opinions peacefully
the fight against the Maoist movement as a pretext to muzzle the opposition
press on the eve of the general election scheduled for 3 May 1999
Appeals To
His Excellency Girija Prasad Koiral
Prime Minister
Office of the Prime Minister
Kathmandu, Nepal
Fax: +977 1 227286
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
