Oli, Lekhak and Gurung cannot be punished under existing law for alleged rights violations during Gen-Z protests

KATHMANDU: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has stated that there is currently no legal provision to punish then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, and former Communications Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung for alleged human rights violations during the Gen-Z movement on September 8 and 9, 2025.

According to the commission’s report, although the three leaders were found to be responsible during the course of the Gen-Z protests, existing laws in force do not provide a mechanism for penal action in cases of human rights violations of this nature.

The NHRC has therefore recommended the formulation of retrospective legislation to enable legal action against them.

The report references a precedent established by the Supreme Court in the case of Advocate Madhav Basnet vs Government of Nepal, stating that in light of this judicial principle, action can only be taken after the enactment of a new law.

Based on this interpretation, the commission has suggested that the government should introduce new legislation and proceed with legal action against all three individuals under that framework.