Police took under control as many as 33 journalists from various media while they were staging a peaceful sit-in at Finance Ministry in Singha Durbar, the central administrative place, of Nepal on July 1. The police took the journalists under control while they were staging a sit-in at Finance Ministry, demanding the release of the increased amount for proportional advertisement the government committed to media. freedom1 Forum expresses serious concern over the arrest of journalists, as it has violated their right to peaceful protest, which is also a medium of expression. Suppression to free expression does not suit the democratic system. So, the authorities concerned are urged to release them quickly and hear their genuine demands.
Freedom Forum is a prominent non-governmental organization in Nepal dedicated to institutionalizing democracy, protecting and promoting human rights, press freedom, freedom of expression, right to information, promoting audit accountability, open and accountable budget, public finance reforms, citizen engagement in public finance management and citizen participation in audit. Established in February 2005, the organization emerged in response to the political turmoil following Former King Gyanendra’s coup dated February 1, 2005, which imposed severe restrictions on media and democratic rights. A group of media professionals, legal experts, and academics founded Freedom Forum to safeguard Nepal’s hard-earned democratic freedoms during this repressive period.
