freedom1 Forum hails a decision come in favour of professional rights of journalist. The Labour Court, Kathmandu, on April 12, 2012, ordered Mahendra Sherchan, Chairman of Utsarga Publications Pvt Ltd. to provide the salary to the journalist, Ram Prasad Dahal whom he sacked illegally on March 2, 2005 from the Rajdhani national daily, restore him and inform the court about his restoration in the daily. If Sherchan fails to abide by the verdict, he would be fined Rs 5,000 with two month imprisonment, the Court said. The Labour Court delivered this verdict after journalist Dahal appealed in the Court on April 11, 2007 reasoning Mr Sherchan did not abide by the Court's decision of October 8, 2006 to restore him in the daily. The decision has come as a precedent in the press freedom1 realm in Nepal as it has advocated the rights of journalist. freedom1 Forum's Legal Desk had provided legal facilitation in the case.
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.
