Why Were the Journalists Arrested—and Why Were They Released?

The arrest of journalists from inside a newsroom, followed by their release hours later, raises serious questions about accountability within the government and security agencies. Nepal Press reported that journalist Bishwamani Subedi was taken into custody from its newsroom and later released. The outlet said police pressured him to disclose the source of a news report. The Prime Minister’s press adviser said the Prime Minister had ordered the release of detained journalists and directed authorities to stop police from entering newsrooms to detain them.

The central questions remain unanswered: What was the legal basis for Subedi’s arrest? Was an arrest warrant presented? What offence was being investigated? If he was detained to compel him to reveal a news source, who gave that order? And if he was released only after the editor-in-chief accepted responsibility for the report, was the arrest intended to investigate a possible offence or to pressure the newsroom to identify its source? His release cannot be treated as a resolution while these questions remain unanswered.

The Prime Minister’s Secretariat initially said it had no prior knowledge of or involvement in the incident. Later, the Prime Minister’s order to release the journalists was announced. That directive was welcome, but it does not end the government’s responsibility. The authorities must disclose who decided to arrest the journalists, who deployed the police and what legal grounds were cited. The Ministry of Home Affairs must answer for the police operation, while the Prime Minister must clarify the government’s broader administrative responsibility. Both must provide answers.

Police have the authority to investigate under the law. But taking a journalist from a newsroom because of disagreement with a report, pressuring the journalist to disclose a source or holding the journalist without stating the grounds for arrest is unacceptable. Complaints about published reports must be addressed through established legal procedures. The Press Council Nepal has also objected to the use of police instead of its established process for investigating and resolving complaints about media content.

Releasing the journalist was necessary, but release does not establish that the arrest was lawful or erase the need for accountability. The government must disclose the order and legal grounds for the arrest, explain the police operation, and clarify whether pressure was applied to reveal a news source. The incident must be investigated impartially, and anyone who issued or carried out an unlawful order must be held accountable.

Press freedom is not merely a privilege for journalists. It underpins the public’s right to information and the democratic right to question the government. The question is no longer only why the journalists were arrested. The public also deserves to know who ordered the arrests, under what law, and why the journalists were released. The Ministry of Home Affairs and the Prime Minister must answer.