Photo- Journalist Pokharel (Source: https://pranmancha.com/)
Chief editor at https://pranmancha.com/ Padam Prasad Pokharel was brutally attacked while reporting in Kathmandu on February 28.
According to journalist Pokharel, he was reporting on clash among street vendors and metropolitan police persons in Sundhara, Kathmandu. He was taking video of the police baton charging the vendors to remove them from street.
Suddenly, a dozen of police persons started attacking Pokharel with their batons. Journalist Pokharel showed his identity card and asked not to attack him but they ignored him and threw his mobile, laptop and camera. They also kicked him.
"One of my friends took me to a nearby National Trauma Hospital for treatment. There were several bruises all over my body and my leg's ligament was torn. I was discharged from the hospital after treatment the other day", Pokharel informed.
Journalist Pokharel staged a protest against metropolitan police demanding justice along with fellow journalists after the incident. Responding to the protest, Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) administration formed an investigation committee and informed Pokharel that they will share their findings on March 22. Thereafter, journalists stopped their protest and then Pokharel got his mobile phone back on March 18.
Lately, Kathmandu Metropolitan City office has been barring street vendors while implementing city laws and regulations.
Freedom Forum condemns the attack upon journalist on duty. It is a sheer violation of press freedom. Hence, FF strongly urges the KMC office to instruct its police persons to respect the journalists' right to free reporting. The police persons must return journalist's reporting gadgets undamaged.
For more,
Freedom Forum
monitoring@freedomforum.org.np
(This page was last updated on March 20.)