The IFJ have protested to the Government of Nepal in the following letter:
12 November 2003
Honorable Mr. Surya Bahadur Thapa
Prime Minister of Nepal
Prime Minister’s Office
Singh Dubar
Kathmandu
Kingdom of Nepal
Fax: 9771226286, 9771227765
email: [email protected]
Honorable Ananat Raj Pandey
Home Secretary, HMG/Nepal
Fax: 9771228166,
email: [email protected]
Mr. Nayan Bahadur Khatri
Chairman, Nepal Human Right Commission
Fax: 9771547973
Email: [email protected]
Your Excellency,
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the world’s largest journalists’ organisation representing over 500,000 journalists worldwide, is deeply concerned over the recent assault of journalist Umesh Ojha, and the arrest of journalist Madhav Bidrohi.
According to our information, on 3 November 2003, Bidrohi was arrested in Jhiljhile, on his way from Birtamod to Damak, in Jhapa district. He was detained at the Char Aali Military Barrack and released by security forces after five hours in detention.
Bidrohi is the Federation of Nepalese Journalists' (FNJ) Jhapa section president and works for the daily Spacetime. The security forces also confiscated his belongings.
In a separate incident on 4 November, journalist Umesh Ojha, of the state owned daily newspaper Gorkhapatra was assaulted by security forces at the main entrance to Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu.
According to our information a police constable pushed the journalist and threw his Government Department of Communications issued Press Pass to the ground.
The IFJ strongly condemns the assault and detainment of Nepalese journalists. The IFJ calls on the Nepalese government to launch a full investigation into these incidents.
The IFJ asks the government of Nepal to express its commitment to press freedom and to ensure the safety of all journalists in Nepal.
Yours sincerely,
Christopher Warren
President, IFJ
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Appeals:
Honorable Mr. Surya Bahadur Thapa
Prime Minister of Nepal
Prime Minister’s Office
Singh Dubar
Kathmandu
Kingdom of Nepal
Fax: 9771226286, 9771227765
email: [email protected]
Honorable Ananat Raj Pandey
Home Secretary, HMG/Nepal
Fax: 9771228166,
email: [email protected]
Mr. Nayan Bahadur Khatri
Chairman, Nepal Human Right Commission
Fax: 9771547973
Email: [email protected]
Please copy appeals to the IFJ Asia Office at [email protected]