The association has stated that deliberately creating obstacles in media organizations is not only an interference in the organization, but also a direct attack on the complete freedom of the press and the citizens' right to information guaranteed by the Constitution of Nepal.
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The Media Lawyers Association Nepal has expressed serious concern over the incident of vehicles parked at the entrances of the offices of Kantipur Media Group, Online News, and Himalaya Television on Monday morning, obstructing regular work.
The association has stated in a statement that deliberately creating obstructions in the offices of any media organization is not only an interference in an organization, but also a direct attack on the complete freedom of the press and the right to information of the citizens guaranteed by the Constitution of Nepal. The
association has demanded that the government conduct a fair, independent and effective investigation into the incident, make the real facts public, and immediately bring the involved persons to justice. The statement issued by the association's president, Advocate Baburam Aryal, states - 'Such activities attempt to push independent, fearless and responsible journalism into an environment of fear, pressure and terror, which is completely incompatible with democratic values and constitutional governance. We strongly demand that the government of Nepal conduct a fair, independent and effective investigation into the incident, make the real facts public, and immediately bring those involved in the incident to justice.' The
statement expresses concern that despite receiving timely information about the incident, the Nepal Police has not been able to take the necessary precautions, prevention and effective management. The association says that the lack of immediate action against the culprits has raised questions about the impartial investigation, saying that no immediate action has been taken against them even when necessary evidence including CCTV footage and vehicle details have been made available.
Stating that any kind of pressure, obstruction, threat or interference on the media is unacceptable in a democratic society, the association has stated that press freedom is the basis of not only the media organization but also the citizen's right to be informed.
The association has urged the government, security agencies and all concerned parties to immediately investigate the incident and take strict action against the culprits in accordance with the law and take effective steps to ensure the safety of media organizations to prevent such incidents from recurring in the future.
