Publisher/ editor of a news portal, www.prabhavnews.com, Uttam Chaulagain was issued death threat for publishing news about a political leader on April 5. The online portal is run from Khotang, a district in Province 1 of Nepal.
According to FF's representative Bikram Niraula, Chaulagain had published news about NC Chair Naresh Kumar Shrestha's obstruction to keep Covid-19 suspects in quarantine far away from community.
Following this, Chair Shrestha had threatened, "You will see the journalist in the next meeting. You may also lose his life for writing such news."
In response to Covid-19 pandemic, Nepal's government has asked the suspected patients to stay in quarantine to minimize the risk of transmission.
At a time when free flow of information is important to keep public informed such incidents obstruct journalists from performing their duty. Freedom Forum condemns the violation of press freedom and right to information.
Hence, FF urges the concerned authority to respect the rights of journalists and ensure fear-free atmosphere for reporting.
For more information,
Freedom Forum
monitoring@freedomforum.org.np