Media Action Nepal urges police accountability after journalist Karki injured
Media Action Nepal | April 27: Media Action Nepal has condemned the police’s reckless and excessive use of force that gravely injured Prime Television reporter Sabina Karki during a teachers’ demonstration in Kathmandu today, emphasizing that security forces must refrain from using disproportionate force, especially in the presence of journalists performing their duties.
Karki, who sustained serious injuries to her eyes due to the violent dispersal of protesters, has been transported to Tilganga Eye Hospital for specialized treatment. Initially rushed to Civil Hospital in Baneshwor, she was referred to the trauma center before being moved to Tilganga for critical care.
Eyewitness accounts and media reports confirm that Karki’s injury was caused by the excessive use of a water cannon by police personnel. A video showing police officers carrying Karki from the protest site to a police vehicle has since gone viral on social media, drawing widespread public outrage.
Media Action Nepal’s Executive Director Laxman Datt Pant said that police should bar themselves from exercising excessive force and be cautious with the presence of media persons at protest sites. “This is another piece of evidence of the failure of security forces in less than a month. On March 28, during a protest, journalist Suresh Rajak was burnt alive,” he said. “We demand that the authorities cover Karki’s medical expenses until she fully recovers. Security forces must always remember to refrain from using excessive force.”
Featured photo: Injured journalist Sabina Karki
