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.
For
further information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific
on +612 9333 0950
The IFJ
represents more than 600,000 journalists in 131 countries
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