KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 8
Widespread failings by Nepal's law enforcement agencies in policing September's youth-led "Gen-Z" protests resulted in unlawful killings, unnecessary and excessive use of force, and severe injuries, Amnesty International said in a new briefing.
The briefing, "We went there to raise our voice, not to be killed": Nepal's Deadly Crackdown on Protesters, documents how security forces used mounting and ultimately lethal force – including live ammunition – against largely peaceful protesters during the assembly in Kathmandu on 8 September, at which at least 19 people were killed and more than 300 injured. Across the country, the two-day protests and six days of subsequent unrest left 76 people dead and more than 2,000 injured.
"The violent and unlawful government response to young people exercising their right to peaceful assembly reflects a shocking and callous disregard for human life. All those responsible for ordering, enabling, or carrying out these abuses, regardless of rank or position, must be brought to justice through a fair and transparent process," said Nirajan Thapaliya, Director of Amnesty International Nepal.
Amnesty said its findings, based on eyewitness accounts, interviews with medical personnel and protesters, and verification of photos and videos, point to widespread failures in policing the protests.
These included, failure to exhaust non-violent measures before using force, dangerous and unlawful use of less-lethal weapons, poor planning and inadequate training, unnecessary and unlawful resort to lethal force.
Such actions, Amnesty said, violated rights guaranteed under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The briefing states that the assembly began peacefully but tensions rose after a police barricade near the federal parliament was dismantled. Security forces responded with water cannons, allegedly used at close range with high pressure, raising concerns about proportionality.
Witnesses described "panic and chaos" as police escalated their response. Tear gas grenades were reportedly fired from elevated positions - a practice contrary to UN guidance - and even discharged inside hospital areas, affecting patients, children and elderly people.
Rubber bullets and rubber-coated metal projectiles were fired into dense crowds without warning, hitting people as young as 14. Doctors reported removing rubber bullets from victims' skulls.
Amnesty documented what it called an unjustified escalation to live gunfire. Journalists and healthcare personnel described bullets fired into crowds from multiple directions near the parliament area.
Doctors said many victims suffered gunshot wounds to vital organs, with emergency rooms overwhelmed. One doctor described the scene as resembling a "butcher's house."
Amnesty concluded that police used lethal force in situations where there was no imminent threat of death or serious injury, amounting to arbitrary deprivation of life.
The rights group said repeated failures to ensure justice for past protest-related abuses have entrenched impunity in Nepal.
"The young people killed and injured during the Gen-Z uprising deserve truth and justice," Thapaliya said. "Without accountability and urgent reform, the conditions that enabled these unlawful killings will persist."
Amnesty urged the government to: Review its overall approach to assemblies, ensure police facilitate peaceful protests, and amend laws governing use of force to comply with international standards.
The briefing focuses on events of 8 September. While Amnesty did not document incidents from subsequent days, it condemned mob violence that occurred during the wider unrest, urging authorities to investigate and bring suspects to justice through fair trials.
