PM orders immediate release of detained journalists

KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Balendra Shah has ordered the immediate release of detained journalists and directed authorities not to enter newsrooms or carry out any form of crackdown against media personnel.

Deepa Dahal, the prime minister’s research and press adviser, said in a social media post that Shah had issued clear instructions to the concerned authorities to immediately release the journalists in custody and refrain from entering newsrooms to detain or harass media workers.

Earlier, police arrested three journalists working for different media outlets, including Nepal Press.

Those arrested were Bishnu Mani Subedi of Nepal Press, Dhiraj Basnet, editor-in-chief of DNA Khabar, and Shobharaj Baral, editor-in-chief of Motivate News.

Meanwhile, Minister for Information and Communication Bikram Timilsina has said that all detained journalists have been released. “The government is committed to press freedom. Press freedom and responsible journalism are pillars of democracy,” Timilsina said in a social media post.