Press Freedom in Peril: Rising Violence against Media in Nepal
Based on violations documented by the Media Rights Violations Monitoring Desk of Media Action Nepal between 4 May, 2025 and 2 May, 2026, Nepal’s press freedom shows a strong opposition to independent journalism and free expression.
Media Action Nepal documented a total of 71 incidents of press freedom violations using the indicators. The vast majority of incidents occurred in Kathmandu (Bagmati Province) and Madhesh Province indicating that these are high-risk areas for media professionals.
Overall, the period marked a decline in Nepal’s press freedom situation. There were no journalist killings in Nepal during this period, which is an improvement over previous years. Threats continued, though, with a number of journalists receiving death threats in the midst of more issues which directly impact press freedom. There were two arrests, one equipment seizure, eight information blockages, 50 threats, six harassment cases, and ten instances of misuse of laws, affecting 78 journalists and 10 media outlets or news platforms.