(CEHURDES/IFEX) – On 4 August 2002, the police arrested Kishor Shrestha, editor of the weekly “Jana Astha”, and Bishnu Ghimire, editor of the weekly “Jana Prahar”. They were charged with publishing “malicious and defamatory news reports” and released 24 hours later. Police sources said that Shrestha was released from the Hanumandhoka Police Station in Kathmandu […]
(CEHURDES/IFEX) – On 4 August 2002, the police arrested Kishor Shrestha, editor of the weekly “Jana Astha”, and Bishnu Ghimire, editor of the weekly “Jana Prahar”. They were charged with publishing “malicious and defamatory news reports” and released 24 hours later.
Police sources said that Shrestha was released from the Hanumandhoka Police Station in Kathmandu and Ghimire was released from the Lalitpur District Police Office, under the supervision of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) president and secretary. According to police, both Shrestha and Ghimire tendered written apologies for publishing defamatory and malicious news reports in their newspapers.
Shrestha was picked up at his office by a group of plainclothes policemen and taken to Hanumandhoka Police Station in Kathmandu. “Jana Astha” sources said that police mistreated Shrestha and other employees before taking him away in a vehicle parked outside the office. Police said they were interrogating him in connection with a news report published in the newspaper’s 31 July edition. The story reported on unauthorised services acquired at a five-star hotel in the capital by the chief of the Valley Crime Investigation Section, police superintendent Ram Chandra Khanal. The police said they would file a case against Shrestha for defamation or under the Public Offences Act.
Ghimire was arrested on complaints that he tried to “extort” 10,000 Nepalese rupees (approx. US$125) from Manoj Khadka, the owner of the National Dance Restaurant in Lalitpur. Ghimire allegedly threatened to expose the restaurant owner in his newspaper if he failed to comply with the demand. Lalitpur District Police Chief Ganesh Raj Rai told the “Kathmandu Post” that the police will initiate a case against Ghimire under the Public Offences Act.
In a separate incident, on 2 August, a soldier manhandled and beat up Kamal Panthi, Bardiya district correspondent for the daily “Kantipur” in Gulariya. The daily carried a photograph of Panthi with bruises under his eyes and stated that the solider, who was identified as Karna Biswokarma, had threatened to kill the reporter. On 5 August, the Royal Nepalese Army said it would investigate and take action against the soldier who assaulted Panthi.
CEHURDES condemns the arrest and manhandling of journalists by the security forces. CEHURDES continues to urge authorities to respect press freedom and freedom of expression and ensure an impartial news reporting environment.
Background Information
Further to the imposition of a “state of emergency” in Nepal on 26 November 2001, more than 100 journalists have been arrested in different parts of the country. More than two dozen journalists remain in detention. Some journalists have reportedly been tortured, both physically and psychologically. Several detainees’ whereabouts is unknown. There have been no reports of official charges filed against any of the arrested journalists.
