Editorial

Security

Politics

World

Letters

Sports

Obituaries

Archives

KATHMANDU, Aug 27 (AFP) - .An editor held in detention by Nepal's security forces for almost 21 months for printing a picture of a senior Maoist has been freed, the Federation of Nepalese Journalists said Friday.

"Bhaikaji Ghimire was released on the Supreme Court's order Thursday afternoon from Nakkhu jail in Lalitpur" on the outskirts of Kathmandu, an FNJ official said.

Ghimire, managing editor of the Samadristi (Equal View) monthly, was detained in Kathmandu in December 2003 and held in security force custody before being transferred to Nakkhu jail early this year.

Ghimire's wife Pampha Ghimire had filed a writ petition in the court appealing for his release, claiming he was being illegally detained. The journalist told reporters soon after being freed he was held without trial by the security forces, which accused him of siding with Maoist rebels fighting since 1996 to install a communist republic in the kingdom.

He had printed a picture of Maoist second in command Baburam Bhattarai as well as the rebels' demands that constituent assembly elections be held in Nepal, he said, adding he had often been blindfolded and tortured. "Each time before torture in the army detention camp, I was asked why I published Bhattarai's photograph and pressed to tell them places where the Maoists were living," Ghimire said, adding that the torture had ended when he was transferred to prison.

He was shifted to the prison after human rights organizations protested about his detention in the army camps. He was not brought to court or convicted. The journalist was released in the presence of the president of the Human Rights Organisation of Nepal (HURON), Charan Prasain and FNJ senior member Narayan Amrit. "We are highly grateful to the Supreme Court for protecting the democratic rights of the journalists in Nepal," said FNJ Central Committee member Rishi Dhamala.

"We appeal to the government to stop the control of the press and allow Nepalese journalists to exercise their full democratic and constitutional rights," Dhamala said.

"There are still six other journalists in jail within and outside Kathmandu and I appeal to the government to release them at the earliest."

www.ceylincoproperties.com

| News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security |
| Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries | Junior Observer |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager