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Alert

Journalists' organisation stormed by five men issuing death threats over report on local corruption

(FNJ/IFEX) - On 14 May 2006, local journalists of the FNJ-Ilam district branch were threatened by five individuals, including the brother of Lila Devi Shrestha, the chairperson, nominated during the Royal regime, of the District Development Committee (DDC, a local body which handles local governance). The threat stemmed from a report on alleged irregularities in the DDC that was published and transmitted on national and local media.

Uttam Shrestha, brother of Lila Devi Shrestha, along with Dambar Pradhan, Indra Lama, Purna Lama and Lok Bahadur Khadka, entered the FNJ-Ilam branch office searching for Benup Raj Bhattarai, a "Kantipur" correspondent and central council member of the FNJ-Ilam branch. Other journalists present managed to orchestrate Bhattarai's escape.

The intruders threatened all the journalists present, saying they "wouldn't hesitate to come in combat dress to take their lives if need be."

Shrestha and Pradhan have been threatening to kill various correspondents working in various media, conveying these threats by telephone and in person by approaching the journalists' houses. According to Prakash Adhikary, vice-president of the FNJ-Ilam branch, the branch office is still receiving their threatening telephone calls.

The FNJ has urged officials of the Home Ministry, of the local administration and of governmental security bodies to take immediate legal action against the perpetrators and to create an environment conducive to the exercise of press freedom.