Journalists Stage Sit-in at Kathmandu Police Office Gate Demanding Kishor Shrestha’s Release; Scuffle as Police Attempt to Disperse Protesters
Dragon Media Correspondent
Journalists and media workers staged a sit-in at the entrance of the Kathmandu District Police Office in Bhadrakali on Thursday, demanding the immediate and unconditional release of Jana Aastha Weekly Chairman and Editor Kishor Shrestha.
The protest, organised under the leadership of the Federation of Nepali Journalists, was held in defence of press and freedom of expression. Participants wore black bands and displayed placards carrying slogans such as “Restore Press Freedom” and “Release Journalist Kishor Shrestha Unconditionally.”
A brief scuffle broke out when police attempted to move the protesters away from the entrance area of the police office. Photographs from the scene show police trying to push demonstrators back while journalists continued chanting slogans. No official information has been released regarding injuries or arrests during the confrontation.
The Federation of Nepali Journalists organised the sit-in in protest against Shrestha’s arrest and the subsequent police action at the office of Jana Aastha Weekly. The federation had called on journalists, media workers and other stakeholders supporting press and freedom of expression to participate in the demonstration.
Following Shrestha’s arrest on Wednesday evening, journalists had already begun protesting outside the Kathmandu police office that night. Federation President Nirmala Sharma, representatives of journalists’ organisations and other media workers gathered at the premises and continued demanding his immediate release until late at night.
On Thursday morning, a police team also entered the office of Jana Aastha Weekly. According to staff members, police searched Shrestha’s office and the newsroom. Computers and other materials were reportedly taken into custody as part of the investigation.
Police arrested Shrestha in Lalitpur on Wednesday evening. Kathmandu police said he was taken into custody after obtaining a court warrant for investigation into an alleged offence under Nepal’s privacy law.
Journalists’ organisations have argued that disputes arising from published journalistic content should ordinarily be addressed through the Press Council Nepal and other established legal and regulatory mechanisms. They maintain that arresting a journalist and entering a media office with police personnel raise serious concerns over press freedom.
The Federation of Nepali Journalists has warned that it will intensify its protest programmes if Shrestha is not released unconditionally.
The Human Rights and Peace Society and several media-related organisations have also expressed concern over the case. They have stressed that the state must maintain an appropriate constitutional balance between protection of personal privacy and freedom of the press and expression.
Shrestha’s arrest, overnight protests by journalists, the search of the Jana Aastha office and Thursday’s sit-in at the police office have now transformed the case from a criminal investigation into a broader public debate over press freedom, the use of state power and the legal boundaries of journalism.
