The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) strongly condemns the arrest of two journalists Ram Pukar Raut and Pravin Sharma Jha in Rautahat district, in the eastern plains (Terai) of Nepal on February 24.

According to information received from the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), an IFJ affiliate, the two journalists who bring out a local weekly, The New Times Today, have been charged with illicit links to a banned underground armed group active in the Terai. The arrests followed the weekly’s publication of a press release put out by the underground group.

FNJ sources believe that the arrests may be in retaliation for a number of articles published in the weekly exposing corruption inside the local government administration and police. Rautahat, a district bordering India, is believed to be a transit point for contraband traffic. Raut and Jha have recently suggested in their reporting that local police may be involved in smuggling activities.

“The IFJ calls for the immediate release of the two journalists,” said IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park.

“Political conditions in the Terai are unsettled andjournalists are often called upon to make tough decisions on how far they can accommodate statements issued by underground groups.

“Though formally banned, these armed groups can influence the course of civic life for thousands of ordinary citizens and journalists have the right to judge when it is appropriate to publish these statements.”

The FNJ and other organisations have been working towards evolving a code of practice for journalists confronting these difficult daily choices.

The IFJ calls upon the authorities in Nepal to allow that debate to proceed, without introducing needless distractions through actions designed to silence the free press.

For further information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific on +612 9333 0919

The IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 125 countries

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