KATHMANDU, MAY 26
Responding to the news that two journalists, Rajan Kuikel and Narayan Amrit, were summoned by the Supreme Court administration and pressured to disclose their sources and apologise for the publication of a story about an alleged meeting between Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher JBR, Amnesty International Nepal has urged the authorities concerned to respect press freedom in a democracy.
Issuing a press release today, director of Amnesty International Nepal, Nirajan Thapaliya said, "Nepal's authorities must respect the right to press freedom as enshrined in the constitution and refrain from intimidating and harassing journalists for merely publishing news. If disagreements ensue over media content, they must follow due processes and not resort to high-handed approaches that may lead to a climate of fear and insecurity among journalists."
"We call on the authorities to ensure an environment in which journalists can carry out their work freely without any fear of reprisal.
A free press is a precondition for protection, promotion and fulfilment of the right to freedom of expression and the right to information," he added.
On May 25, editor of imagekhabar.com Rajan Kuikel and editor of nepalsamaya.com Narayan Amrit were summoned for a meeting by the SC administration.
Prior to summoning the two editors, the apex court administration had issued a press statement refuting the news and warning of legal action if the misleading news was not corrected.
A version of this article appears in the print on May 27, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
