Nepal Media Society Demands Immediate, Unconditional Release of Journalist Kishor Shrestha
Dragon Media News Desk
The Nepal Media Society has demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Kishor Shrestha, editor-in-chief of Jan Aastha Weekly and a senior journalist.
The Society has also urged all concerned parties to seek remedies through established legal and press-related procedures if there are any legal questions, complaints or objections concerning published news reports.
In a statement issued by its General Secretary Bodh Raj Tripathi, the Society said that arresting a journalist solely on the basis of a published report runs contrary to the fundamental principles of press and freedom of expression.
The statement stressed that any complaint or objection concerning published journalistic content should be addressed through prevailing laws and procedures established by the Press Council Nepal.
The Society said press freedom, freedom of expression, the right to information and independent journalism, as guaranteed by Nepal’s Constitution, are fundamental pillars of a democratic system. It expressed concern over actions that could intimidate journalists because of their reporting or negatively affect the environment for independent journalism.
The Society also made clear that journalists and media organisations are required to comply with existing laws. At the same time, it said that any legal remedy sought in matters related to journalism or published content must fully respect constitutional guarantees of press freedom, the professional rights of journalists and established norms governing the media.
It further said the Nepal Media Society would remain vigilant against any form of pressure, interference or suppression directed at independent journalism.
Nepal Police arrested Shrestha in Lalitpur on Wednesday evening. Police have said he is under investigation over an alleged offence under the Privacy Act, 2018.
On Thursday morning, a police team also searched the office of Jan Aastha Weekly.
The Federation of Nepali Journalists has also protested Shrestha’s arrest and the police search of the Jan Aastha office. The Federation has argued that disputes related to journalistic content should be addressed through established legal and press-related mechanisms and has demanded Shrestha’s unconditional release.
Journalists led by the Federation staged a protest and sit-in outside the Kathmandu District Police Range office on Thursday demanding his release.
The arrest and subsequent search of the media outlet’s office have intensified debate over press freedom, legal protections for individual privacy and the limits of state investigation into journalistic content.
