Kathmandu, April 14:

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), a global organisation of journalists, forwarded a letter to UN secretary-general Kofi Annan yesterday, calling on him to condemn security personnel for arresting journalists without issuing any legal notice and physically assaulting them. IFJ, which represents 5,00,000 journalists worldwide, is seeking Annan’s support for the struggle for democracy in Nepal.

“The IFJ is particularly concerned over the status of 14 journalists and media workers, who were detained in course of the recent pro-democracy movement and are still in custody. Many of them were arrested without issuance of any legal notice and were physically assaulted by the police prior to their arrest,” the letter said.

“The police and Royal Nepal Army personnel have systematically targeted journalists and media persons covering mass protests. They have brutally attacked and arrested them,” the letter stated.

“The IFJ has received reports that, posing as journalists, assistant sub-inspector Sailesh Giri and policeman Ram Hari Karki infiltrated a protest organised by the Federation of Nepalese Journalists in Kathmandu and began deliberately provoking both protesters and security personnel.”

Meanwhile, the Federation of Nepalese Journalists said 13 journalists were arrested in Baglung when they were celebrating New Year. Dipak Adhikari was manhandled and arrested from his residence at Hetauda and security forces did not provide him first aid treatment even after injuring him, the FNJ said. FNJ flayed the government for abusing and arresting journalists.