Executive Editor Tekman Shakya and reporter Sunita Gautam at www.nepalesetimes.com were taken under control for some hours while reporting on February 21. The incident took place in Kathmandu.
Editor Shakya shared with Freedom Forum that he and reporter Gautam were taking video of the people demonstrating at Department of Foreign Employment. The people were defrauded in course of foreign employment and protesting at the Department.
"Meanwhile, police officers came to me and asked why I was taking videos. As we showed them our press identity cards issued by the Department of Information and Broadcasting, one of the officers said that the card could be bought anywhere", said Shakya. "Thereafter, the officers forcefully took us under control for at least three hours in a nearby police station. They also seized our mobile phones and camera", he added.
Later, a senior police officer came and released them, according to Shakya.
Freedom Forum condemns the intimidation of police persons towards journalists. Barring the journalists from reporting and taking them under control and seizing media devices is an absolute violation of press freedom.
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