Nepal Under Military Rule

The Unacceptable Beating over
the Human Rights Defenders and Journalists

Press Statement

May 16, 2005, Kathmandu

We express our concern regarding the arrest of student leader Rajendra Rai from the premises of the Kathmandu District Court and manhandling to another student leader Rup Narayan Shrestha, immediate after their release from the Supreme Court order on May 16, 2005.

The central secretary of the Nepal Bar Association (NBA) Madhav Baskota and its Kathmandu section chair Yogendra Adhikari were badly injured as a result of manhandling of the security forces. The release process of the student leaders was witnessed by the representatives of the UN Office of the High Commissioner of the Human Rights and the human rights organizations, HimRights Lifeline, INSEC, CWIN, CVICT and NBA.

The central secretary of NBA Baskota protested the arrest of student leader Rai and urged not to any attempt to arrest another student leader Shrestha. However, the security forces were mobilized until 6.00 PM, while Shrestha was kept under the protection of the NBA officials.

These inhumane treatments of the state violate fundamental norms and principles of human rights. This case also demonstrates the irresponsibility of the state and its insincere commitment to the Memorandum of Understanding with the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights, signed on 11 April 2005.

We demand that the state immediately stop such inhumane treatment and vicious beatings, and that they actively respect human rights and humanitarian laws. We also demand the unconditional release of Rajendra Rai and that action is taken against the officials involved in beating.

On behalf of 25 human rights organizations,

Subodh Raj Pyakurel
Dr. Gopal Krishna Siwakoti
Shobhakar Budhathoki