KATHMANDU: The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and Nepal’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) have released separate statements expressing concern over the lack of freedom of speech in the country.
The OHCHR cited the arrest of several individuals, including a former bureaucrat for their critical views on government policies. Meanwhile, the NHRC noted the rising violation of press freedom in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet issued a statement expressing alarm over the instances of lack of freedom of expression in Nepal.
“In Nepal, authorities have used a stringent cyber-crime law to arrest a retired bureaucrat who was critical of the government including its COVID-19 response. According to press freedom groups, there have been several cases of journalists detained while covering COVID-related news, incidents of journalists facing obstruction from authorities, and reports of threats and physical attacks against journalists”, read the statement.
The statement also advised the governments in Asia-Pacific that any action taken to stop the spread of false information must be proportionate.
“Many countries in the region already have laws governing alleged ‘fake news’ and online media that raise human rights concerns and have been used in other contexts to deter legitimate speech, especially public debate, criticism of government policy, and to suppress freedom of expression,” the statement said.
It added that measures should adhere to the principles of legality, necessity, proportionality, serve a legitimate public health objective, and should be the “least intrusive” approach required to achieve that result.
Likewise, the NHRC issued a press release about the charges filed against journalists covering the pandemic.
“Some 22 media personnel during the state-enforced lockdown who were deployed for collecting news have been arrested, others were attacked, issued threats and insults,” the release said.
It also criticized the trend of denial of information to journalists by public offices.
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