The International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate, the Federation of Nepali Journalists
(FNJ) in condemning the serious assault of a newspaper editor in the mid-western
region of Nepal on September 13.
The FNJ reports
that Nepali Express Daily Editor, Shiva Dotel was
manhandled and attacked by a police team led by Sub Inspector of Nepali Police,
Batti Kumar Pokhrel, near Tribhuwanchowk of Nepalgunj, in Banke on September 13.
Dotel was reportedly
attacked for no apparent reason on the way to his office. He sustained serious head
injuries requiring seven stitches after medical treatment at Bheri Regional
Hospital.
The FNJ said the
incident pointed to the increasingly dangerous situation for Nepal’s
journalists.
“Such violent attacks on
journalists are completely unacceptable and are particularly alarming when made
by an authority charged with upholding the laws of the country and protecting
individuals from such harm,” IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park said.
According to reports,
the Banke
District Police Office has now initiated action against those involved in the
attack, including Sub
Inspector of Nepali Police, Batti Kumar Pokhrel.
The IFJ welcomes the initiation
of action, but calls on the authorities of Nepal to ensure that they immediately
proceed with a full independent investigation into the attack.
For
further information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific
on +612 9333 0918
The IFJ
represents more than 600,000 journalists in 131 countries
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