Release all political detainees and HR defenders: NGO Federation of Nepal

Dr. Arjun Karki

NGO Federation of Nepal-an umbrella organisation of over 2,600 NGOs across the country-has demanded that the government release all political detainees and human rights defenders immediately and unconditionally.

In a statement issued on Sunday, president of NGO Federation of Nepal, Dr. Arjun Karki, has also called upon the government to stop what he called the gross and systematic violation of human rights and suppression of peaceful demonstration against the royal government.

"The Federation extends full support to the on-going movement aimed at establishing total democracy in Nepal," he said.

Karki himself narrowly escaped attempt to detain him. Police raided his house and his house telephone as well as mobile number still remain cut off. No reason was given. Rights groups condemned the government act and demanded that his telephone service be restored but the authorities have refused to oblige.
On February 3, UN Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Nepal sent a letter to Home Minister Kamal Thapa calling him to release all the detainees held under the Public Security Act (PSA) for peacefully expressing their political opinion.

In his letter, the representative of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal, Ian Martin said, "The great majority of these persons appear to have been arrested for exercising their right to freedom of peaceful assembly or expressing their political opinion. I urge that your Ministry undertake an urgent review of all PSA detention cases with a view to ensuring the immediate and unconditional release of those against whom there is no evidence of involvement in violence. "
OHCHR-Nepal said it was aware of more than 800 people who have been detained under the PSA around the country in the context of protest activities by the alliance of seven political parties and civil society organisations.

Hundreds of others were arrested across the country later in the run up to the municipal polls.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) also came down heavily upon the royal government early this month for what he called " failing to provide minimum facilities to the political detainees" and asked the authorities to free all those "who have been detained without any appropriate or adequate basis."
There has been no response from the authorities as yet to such calls.

Source: nepalnews.com by Feb 12 06