12 October 2005
AUTHORITIES BLAMED FOR JOURNALIST'S DEATH; KING TIGHTENS GRIP ON MEDIA
Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) are holding Nepalese authorities responsible for the death of Maheshwar Pahari, an imprisoned reporter who died of tuberculosis on 4 October 2005 after being denied proper medical treatment.
Pahari, 30, died in a hospital in the town of Pokhara. Doctors there had recommended he be transferred to the capital, Kathmandu, for better treatment and the Federation of Nepalese Journalists offered to pay his travel costs. However, officials refused, citing security concerns. Prior to being hospitalised, Pahari had been detained by Nepalese authorities since May.
Pahari was held under an anti-terrorism law, which has been used to jail journalists since it was introduced in November 2001. Three other journalists are currently imprisoned in Nepal, according to FNJ and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).
Pahari reported for the weekly "Rastriya Swabhiman" and maintained close contact with sources in the Maoist rebel movement, notes CPJ. Authorities may have detained him to gather information about the leadership of the insurgency against King Gyanendra, who took over Nepal in a coup in February 2005. International observers have criticised the King for imposing harsh restrictions on the press and on freedom of expression since coming to power.
Earlier this week, ARTICLE 19 and the International Press Institute (IPI) raised alarm at a new Ordinance imposed by the King which contains provisions to amend existing media laws.
The Ordinance prohibits an organization or individual from receiving licenses to operate radio, television and newspapers. Other provisions ban the importing of foreign publications that contain prohibited information and bar FM stations from broadcasting news-related programmes. These stations will be limited to airing "informative" programmes on health, education, weather, road and transport conditions and other similar development topics.
Further provisions expand the level of protection for state authorities from public scrutiny by prohibiting any news items that cause "hatred or disrespect" not only of the King but also of "members of the royal family."
Penalties for violating media laws have been increased, in most cases by ten-fold. Individuals found guilty of criminal defamation can now be fined up to 500,000 Rupees (US$7,000) and/or be imprisoned for up to two years.
Nepalese journalists say they plan to challenge the Ordinance in Nepal's Supreme Court.
The text of the Ordinance can be viewed here: http://tinyurl.com/8cqyf
Visit these links:
- CPJ: http://www.cpj.org/news/2005/Nepal05oct05na.html
- RSF: http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=15211
- ARTICLE 19: http://tinyurl.com/7dlc9
- IPI: http://www.freemedia.at/Protests2005/pr_Nepal10.10.05.htm
- Human Rights Watch: http://hrw.org/reports/2005/nepal0205/
- Federation of Nepalese Journalists: http://www.fnjnepal.org/
- IFJ Report on Nepal: http://tinyurl.com/b9sv2
- European Parliament Resolution on Nepal: http://tinyurl.com/c9s67
- Report of International Press Freedom Mission to Nepal:
http://www.wan-press.org/article8041.html
- UN Nepal Information Platform: http://www.un.org.np/
(Image courtesy of Index on Censorship)
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