Kathmandu, August 13
The Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) is staging a sit-in outside the Kathmandu Police Complex today, demanding the release of journalist Kishor Shrestha. The FNJ has also called on all supporters of press freedom to participate in the protest. FNJ General Secretary Ram Prasad Dahal issued a notice calling for the sit-in.
Nepal Police arrested Shrestha, editor-in-chief of Jan Aastha weekly, on Wednesday. A police team also raided and searched the Jan Aastha office early Thursday morning.
The FNJ has condemned both Shrestha’s arrest and the search of the Jan Aastha office. On Wednesday night, a team of journalists, including FNJ President Nirmala Sharma, staged a protest outside the Kathmandu Police Complex. The FNJ has warned of stronger protests if Shrestha is not released unconditionally.
Police have said Shrestha was arrested on allegations of committing an offence under the Individual Privacy Act, 2018, and that an investigation is underway. Shrestha is also the senior vice president of the World Press Council. He is a former chairperson of the Press Council Nepal and former general secretary of the FNJ. He has established a distinct identity in investigative journalism and is known as a forthright and fearless journalist.
