The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) in its concern over reports that a journalist was threatened by security officers in Banke, in Nepal’s central west, on April 17, 2012.

Dinesh Gautam, a correspondent for the Nagarik Daily newspaper in Nepalgunj municipality, in Nepal’s Banke District, was allegedly threatened by Raju Nepali, Nepal Army Colonel based in Imamnagar Barreck, in response to stories he had written for the paper.

The Nagarik Daily had published a report that seven local people had been assaulted by Colonel Raju Nepali on April 17, 2012.

In response, it is alleged Colonel Raju telephoned Gautam and threatened him with harm should he continue reporting on the case.

This incident follows the making of threats to another journalist, Rajendra Adhikari, editor and publisher of Don News Daily and photo journalist Bandhuram Parajuli, also of the Don News Daily, by Gundaraj Shrestha 'Min', an activist of the UCPN, a Maoist affiliated labour union, in response to stories published in Nepal’s western region on April 13, 2012.

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