From Intimidation to Impunity: Rising Threats against Media in Nepal
KATHMANDU | May 2 : Between May 4, 2024 and May 1, 2025, Nepal witnessed a deeply troubling series of press freedom and FoE violations, with 32 documented incidents affecting 40 journalists, individuals and media houses. These violations spanned five key areas: killings (2 incidents, 2 killed), arrests (3 incidents, 6 arrested), information blockages (3 incidents, 5 affected), equipment seizures (2 incidents, 3 affected), and threats (22 incidents, 24 threatened). The pattern of these violations points to a systemic erosion of journalistic safety and freedom, with journalists and media houses increasingly targeted for performing their constitutionally protected duties.
Two killings were at the center of this grim period: journalist Suresh Bhul was killed by a violent crowd, and Suresh Rajak was brutally attacked and burnt during a pro-monarchy protest on March 28, 2025. Rajak’s death, in particular, sent shockwaves through Nepal’s media landscape as it highlighted the increasing risks for journalists covering political unrest. Arrests were carried out in politically sensitive contexts, such as protests involving youth activists and reporters covering cultural issues. Bijay Shah’s arrest for cultural reporting, and two other arrests for contempt of court, illustrate how legal instruments are being used to silence critical voices.
Out of the total 40 impacted incidents, 16 were linked to state actors, one to a foreign envoy, and 23 to non-state actors including protestors, individuals, and unidentified groups. This distribution of perpetrators signals a severe institutional and societal failure to uphold press freedom and freedom of expression. The state’s dual role, as a direct violator and a passive bystander, has led to a culture of impunity. Conflict-era crimes against journalists remain unaddressed, even after 19 years, further reinforcing the lack of accountability.
