Prachanda Demands Immediate Release of Kishor Shrestha, Calls Arrest Without Due Process ‘A Mockery of Democracy’

Dragon Media Correspondent

Nepali Communist Party coordinator and former prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” has demanded the immediate release of Jan Aastha Weekly Editor-in-Chief and senior journalist Kishor Shrestha.

In a statement posted on social media on Thursday, Prachanda said that detaining a journalist over a published news report without following proper legal procedures and established processes was contrary to democratic values.

“The detention of Kishor Shrestha, editor of Nepal’s established newspaper Jan Aastha, by the state merely for writing news, without following due process and procedure, is a mockery of democracy,” Prachanda said.

He also called for Shrestha’s immediate release.

Police arrested Shrestha on Wednesday evening. Authorities have said he is under investigation over an alleged offence related to individual privacy. Following the arrest, police also searched his residence and the office of Jan Aastha Weekly.

The arrest and subsequent police action at the media outlet have intensified debate over press freedom, freedom of expression, procedures for resolving disputes related to published content, and the limits of criminal investigation in matters directly connected with journalism.

The Federation of Nepali Journalists, Press Council Nepal, Nepal Media Society and other media organisations have also objected to Shrestha’s arrest, arguing that disputes over journalistic content should be addressed through established legal and institutional mechanisms governing the press.

Prachanda’s statement has added a prominent political voice to the growing opposition to the arrest. He stressed that state agencies must respect due process, legal procedure and democratic rights while conducting investigations.