Nepal Police Detain Three Journalists, Media Body Condemns Arrests
Three media professionals were released after questioning, while the Federation of Nepali Journalists condemned the police searches and staged a protest in Kathmandu.
KATHMANDU, Oct 31: Three journalists were briefly detained by Nepal Police, while newsrooms of several media organisations were searched, prompting protests from a journalists’ body over alleged violations of press freedom.
According to sources in the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), the three journalists were taken into custody from their respective offices in Kathmandu on Friday morning without arrest warrants. They were released later in the evening after being questioned.
In a statement, the FNJ condemned the police action, describing it as unconstitutional and demanding an immediate end to such practices.
FNJ General Secretary Ram Prasad Dahal said detaining journalists from their workplaces amounted to a violation of press freedom, the Constitution and international law.
Police personnel also searched the offices of several media organisations while attempting to identify the sources behind certain news reports.
The action came a day after several newspapers and online news portals published reports claiming that Prime Minister Balendra Shah had sought the resignation of Nepal Police Inspector General Dan Bahadur Karki over his alleged connections with Inam Sapkota. Sapkota is currently in police custody in connection with money laundering and indecent behaviour charges.
Dahal warned that such actions must stop immediately, adding that journalists would be compelled to take to the streets if what he described as state intimidation continued.
Meanwhile, journalists affiliated with the FNJ staged a protest at Maitighar Mandala in Kathmandu on Saturday, condemning the detentions and raising concerns over the growing pressure on media organisations.
