Attacks and Threats against Journalists in Nepal

October 19, 2011

Attacks and Threats against Journalists in Nepal

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) in strongly condemning the death threats made against television reporter Arjun Shrestha by associates of a businessman in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu.

According to reports received from the FNJ and other partners in the South Asia Media Solidarity Network (SAMSN), Milan Bista and BN Jha, employees of Sitaram Milk, a dairy company in the city, arrived at Shrestha’s home in Koteswor, Kathmandu on October 18 and threatened to “finish” him in retaliation for a news report he had filed on the company.

Shrestha was also allegedly manhandled when he warned the intruders that he would summon the police.

In his reports filed for ABC Television Shrestha had highlighted how certain standards of safety and quality control were not being observed by the company.

“The IFJ joins the FNJ and other SAMSN partners in calling for a sustained effort to hold to account those responsible for intimidating journalists and impeding reporting in the public interest,” IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park said .

“Threats from political and business quarters have become a frequent hazard for journalists in Nepal. We call upon the authorities to establish a strong precedent of acting promptly and fairly in this case.”

The IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 131 countries

Find the IFJ on Twitter: @ifjasiapacific

Find the IFJ on Facebook: www.facebook.com/IFJAsiaPacific

ENDS

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