Nepal: Attacks on media escalate amid anti-corruption protests

Amid an escalation of violence against journalists and media outlets during Nepal's mass 'Gen-Z' anti-corruption protests, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has documented at least 42 media rights violations since September 8. The IFJ and its affiliate, the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), strongly condemn the targeting of media by both authorities and demonstrators and call on the interim Karki government to take immediate steps to ensure the safety and security of media workers.

During the anti-corruption protests on September 9, demonstrators set alight the Kathmandu offices of Kantipur Media Group. Credit: Bijay Paudel / KTV

Following attacks on four journalists on September 8, the Kathmandu offices of Kantipur Media Group and Annapurna Post were set alight on September 9, while Kantipur TV was stormed during its live broadcast. The same day, Radio Kantipur and ThahaKhabar.com were vandalised, with Avenues and ABC TV Nepal forced off-air. In Singha Durbar, the Public Broadcasting Service office, Radio Nepal, and Nepal TV were vandalised and torched. The homes of Kailash Sirohiya, owner of KMG, and Rameshwor, owner of Annapurna Media Network, were also burned in targeted attacks.

Multiple attacks on regional media also took place on September 9 and 10. In Butwal, a News24 vehicle was torched, and Radio Jagaran had its office 'demolished'. In Kaski, a Radio Dhorbarahi motorcycle was destroyed, and the camera of online news editor Govinda Subedi was damaged. In Chitwan, the offices of Safal Khabar and Chure Sandesh were looted and torched, Kalika FM had equipment destroyed, and the home of journalist Santosh Deuja, of Kapurbot Media, was looted and burned. In Ilam, media outlets Nepalwani FM and Ilam Express Daily were vandalised. In Saptari, the district office of the FNJ was vandalised, and in Sarlahi, Mero Shaan TV journalist Rajeev Sah was assaulted while reporting on the arson of a police station.

Numerous direct attacks on journalists took place on September 9 and 10. Kantipur TV news director Rupesh Shrestha and journalist Anil Bogati were both beaten, and a bomb was planted outside FNJ Kavre ex-chair Motiram Timilsina's house, which was later diffused. Multiple attacks also took place on September 11 and 12; in Kohalpur, Banke, Niraj Nischal of SamvegnNews.com was assaulted and had his camera seized and burned, before being forced to escape an assault by jumping from the roof of a building. In Dhangadhi, journalist Dipendra Bhatta was assaulted and had his motorcycle torched.

Further violence recorded in Bhaktapur included the physical attack of Tulsi Kumar Twaina, Bhaktapur TV and Krishna KC, of Nagarik Daily, who was forced to delete photos by police. FNJ Bhaktapur member Sudarshan Acharya was injured when a TV vehicle was vandalised while covering a protest at outgoing president KP Oli's Balakot residence, and Keshav Timilsina, also an FNJ Bhaktapur member, was prevented from collecting footage at a District Administration protest.

Kolhavi.com editor, Ashish Dhungana, was also attacked, and Terai Post journalist Basant Lama was reportedly beaten while riding a motorcycle. A Prime Television van was set alight, the editor for AP Khabar was attacked, and an incident was reported against FNJ branch member Santosh Aryal's vehicle, in further violence reported by FNJ on September 18.

The FNJ said: "The journalists and media who are always active for peace and democracy are still targets of agitation. This is a sad and objective subject. The state should give appropriate compensation to media houses and journalists. We also appeal to the state and protesters not to target the press and not to shrink the freedom of expression by taking care of any infiltration."

The IFJ said: "The violent targeting of journalists and media workers as they perform their duties in the public interest amid national upheaval is a gross violation of press freedom. The interim government must now take urgent and decisive action to safeguard Nepal's media community and ensure impunity is not permitted to continue."