The report also mentions the violent behavior and physical attacks that the journalists have faced from the police and government agencies.
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A public report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has shown that the threat to Nepal's press freedom is increasing. In the report released on Monday, it is mentioned that the journalists of Nepal faced both legal and physical attacks.
CPJ Regional Director Beh Lee Yee said press freedom is under threat due to increasing legal and physical attacks on journalists in Nepal. "The increase in legal and physical attacks on journalists in Nepal is very alarming," she said, "The police have targeted journalists from the courts just because they write news." Journalist Pathak, through his YouTube channel 'Tough Talk with Dilbhushan', reported on Jayveer, the son of former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and Foreign Minister Arju Rana Deuba.
A case was filed against the journalist Pathak in the court regarding the news of Lekhiu alleging that Jayveer had an investment in the Hilton Hotel in Kathmandu. A court case was filed against him under the Electronic Transactions Act 2063. High Court's intervention saved Pathak from arrest . But his case is still pending in court.
In the same way, Diopost.com wrote a news about corruption by Balkrishna Basnet, then president of Press Council of Nepal. Basnet had put pressure to remove the news. But after the news was not removed, the Council decided to blacklist Deopost on 27th November 2081.
Similarly, Bizmandu and Nepalkhabar wrote news about Nepal Securities Board Chairman Santosh Narayan Shrestha taking bribe. The Kathmandu District Court ordered the removal of the news. But on June 5, the court overturned this order, ruling that there was no sufficient basis to remove the material.
Contempt of court
Journalists have to face the issue of contempt of court along with political obstacles, it is mentioned in CPJ's report. On May 16th, the Supreme Court started a contempt of court case against Kanakmani Dixit, the publisher of Himal Khabar, Sant Gaha Magar, the editor, and Man Bahadur Basnet, the correspondent. In the rape case, the case was filed in the news, which raised questions about the judicial process of the court, saying that the innocent had been punished. This case is still pending.
10 days after that i.e. on June 26th, the special court of Drashti News President Shambhulal Shrestha . The executive editor MP Subba was ordered to confirm the justification of the news. The news was written about the fact that judges make hasty decisions in corruption cases. The court questioned the news and gave a three-day ultimatum to confirm the validity of the news.
Police suppression of journalists During the
reporting, the journalist asked the police and government agencies The report also mentions the violent behavior and physical attacks that have been experienced. Prakashchandra Dahal, the editor of Nepal Pukar, was arrested by the police when he came to report on the violent demonstration of royalists in Tinkune on March 15th. A criminal case has been filed against journalist Dahal and he is currently on bail.
Similarly, Janchaso Khabar's Angraj Pariyar and Khulnajar's Prajwal Chunara who came to collect news of the protest in Surkhet on May 25 were beaten up by the police. When the police filmed the manhandling of a woman and children, their phones and cameras were confiscated and the footage was deleted.
Hadis Khuddar of Naya Patrika daily was beaten and detained by Dhanusha police office on 23rd May. Khuddar who came to report the demonstration in front of the police office was confiscated by the police and hit with a stick.
Similarly, on June 23, HTP Khabar's Diwakar Sah and Manoj Pariyar were attacked while collecting news on corruption at the Infrastructure Development Office of Jaleshwar Municipality. Covering these topics put journalists at risk CGJ said. CPJ has suggested that immediate steps should be taken to protect the freedom of the press.
