3 December 2008

REMAINS OF MISSING JOURNALIST FOUND


The skeleton believed to be that of missing Nepali journalist Jagat Prasad Joshi was found in a wooded area near his home in the west of the country, report the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF). The press freedom groups fear he may have been murdered.

Joshi, also known as Pandit, was last seen on 8 October during the Dashain festival at his home in Nepal's far-western district of Kailali. Human remains found in a nearby forest were identified by Joshi's family.

Joshi was the editor of the far-western editions of the Nepali language daily "Janadisha", one of the mouthpieces of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), says RSF. He was a member of FNJ and also president of the Kailali chapter of the Revolutionary Journalists' Organisation.

According to FNJ, Joshi's family identified two brothers as suspects. In a recent story, Joshi had said they were allegedly involved in illegally trading tiger skins. One brother is now in custody, while the other is reported to have fled when the remains were discovered.

RSF says that a relative of Joshi also suggested that a local Maoist leader, Hari "Utsav" Chaudhari, could have been involved. Joshi was physically attacked one night as he was returning home after writing an article criticising Chaudhari's calls for autonomy of part of the Terai region.

FNJ believes the increasing number of attacks on journalists is a result of the authorities' failure to "book the culprits." FNJ and other media organisations in Nepal organised demonstrations of journalists, media associations and political leaders in Kathmandu and Janakpur last week to demand a thorough investigation into Joshi's murder. The Kailali media have called a general strike.

Visit these links:
- IFJ: http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/98964/
- FNJ: http://www.fnjnepal.org/release_detail.php?id=91
- RSF: http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=29513
- Video of Kathmandu demonstration on YouTube: http://tinyurl.com/6c4lp3
(3 December 2008)



Stay on top of free expression news.

Sign up to receive the weekly IFEX Communiqué.


Also from the Communiqué, 3 December 2008

INTERNATIONAL: CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR COUNCIL OF EUROPE HUMAN RIGHTS PRIZE 3 December 2008 INTERNATIONAL / WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY: UNESCO LAUNCHES WORLD PRESS FREEDOM PRIZE 2009 3 December 2008 BURKINA FASO: BURKINA FASO: SIGN PETITION FOR ASSASSINATED JOURNALIST NORBERT ZONGO 3 December 2008 AZERBAIJAN: JOIN IFEX MEMBERS AND PROTEST AZERBAIJANI GOVERNMENT OUSTER OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTERS 3 December 2008 GERMANY: PARLIAMENT DEFEATS ANTI-TERRORISM LAW 3 December 2008 INTERNATIONAL: EUROPE ADOPTS CONTENTIOUS TREATY ON ACCESS TO INFORMATION 3 December 2008 INDIA: THIRD REPORTER SHOT DEAD IN EIGHT DAYS 3 December 2008 PHILIPPINES: SECOND RADYO NATIN BROADCASTER KILLED 3 December 2008 THAILAND: MEDIA CAUGHT IN CROSSFIRE IN THAILAND'S POLITICAL CRISIS 3 December 2008

Nepal

Government increases range of documents to be classified 1 February 2012 Journalists detained after protesting government's proposed restrictions 30 January 2012 Journalists threatened by politician 30 January 2012 Newspapers burned during nationwide strike 27 January 2012 Copies of newspaper set on fire by political party supporters 24 January 2012 See all alerts: Nepal


Asia and Pacific

TIBET (CHINA): PEN American Center concerned over "virtual lockdown" on freedom of expression 9 February 2012 MALDIVES: New government must guarantee safety and rights of journalists 8 February 2012 SRI LANKA: FMM voices concern over allegations in "Dinamina" newspaper article 7 February 2012 INDIA: Danish journalists refused visas 7 February 2012 CHINA: Senior newspaper staff fired for reporting inflation concerns 6 February 2012


 
The International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX) is a global network of 95 organisations working to defend and promote the right to free expression.
Permission is granted for material on this website to be reproduced or republished in whole or in part provided the source member and/or IFEX is cited with a link to the original item.