Human Rights and Peace Society Calls for Immediate Release of Journalist Kishor Shrestha

Dragon Media Correspondent

The Human Rights and Peace Society has strongly objected to the arrest of Jana Aastha Weekly Chairman and Editor Kishor Shrestha and the subsequent police action at the publication’s office, calling for his immediate release.

In a statement issued by its President Renuka Paudel, the society expressed serious concern over Shrestha’s arrest in connection with an alleged offence related to personal privacy and urged the government to stop interference with the independent press.

The society said that if a media outlet commits an error, the matter should be addressed through established legal and regulatory mechanisms. Arresting a journalist instead, it argued, runs contrary to democratic values and the principles of press and freedom of expression.

A day after Shrestha’s arrest, police entered the office of Jana Aastha Weekly on Thursday morning and took computers and other materials into custody. Shrestha had been arrested on Wednesday evening on the basis of a court-issued warrant in a privacy-related case.

The Human Rights and Peace Society described the police action at the media office as condemnable and motivated by improper intent, saying it raised serious concerns regarding press freedom and fundamental rights.

The organisation recalled that the Preamble and Article 19 of Nepal’s Constitution provide constitutional protection for full press freedom and the right to communication. It noted that the Constitution contains safeguards against prior censorship and against shutting down or confiscating media outlets solely on the basis of published content.

The society also referred to Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Nepal is a party, stressing that the state has an obligation to respect freedom of opinion and expression.

International human rights standards recognise a free and unhindered press as an essential component of a democratic society. The UN Human Rights Committee has also emphasised the importance of protecting journalistic activity and respecting the confidentiality of journalists’ sources.

The Human Rights and Peace Society called on the government to release Shrestha without delay, end interference with the media, and uphold Nepal’s constitutional and international commitments to press and freedom of expression.