Freedom Forum is outraged over the attack on journalist Krishna Gyawali, a correspondent for 'Kantipur' daily on December 17 in capital Kathmandu.
Landowners of Kaushaltar in Bhaktapur had assaulted him while he was covering information on the ongoing transgression of public land for road development in that area. According to journalist Gyawali he went there for reporting after it was reported that a road has been developed illegally near a planning site next to the bridge along the Balkot-Kaushaltar road stretch.
The landowners manhandled Gyawali, destroyed his diary, and forced him to delete the pictures taken by him.
Freedom Forum denounces the incident and asks the local authority to take immediate action against the guilty. Since constitution and existing laws of Nepal have guaranteed peoples' right to information on public issues, it is government's obligation to safeguard journalists' right to reporting in public places without any hurdles. Freedom Forum calls upon the government to ensure enough security of journalist on the days to follow.
For more information,
Freedom Forum
monitoring@freedomforum.org.np
01-4102030/ 4102022