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Political Leaders and Activists Detained: 1/22/06

In Poor Conditions in Nepal's Jails

By Defend Human Rights- Nepal

January 22, 2006 (11.45pm), Kathmandu, Nepal: Human rights defenders (HRDs) under the coordination of the Defend Human Rights Movement- Nepal (DHRMN) carried out the visits in various detention centers in Kathmandu and Bhaktapur Districts that include the Armed Police Force Barracks: No. 2 Gana Ranibari; Pahara Gana Tripureswar; Balambu; APF Headquarter Halchowk; Nepal Police Headquarter and Nepal Police Academy Maharajgunj in Kathmandu District and Guheswari Gana in Bhaktapur District. The security forces didn't allow the HRDs to meet with the political prisoners.

No. 2 Gana, Ranibari

A total of 52 political prisoners (48 men and 4 women) have been detained, including former parliamentarian Lekh Nath Neupane, Nepali Congress leader Jagat Raj Shakya, journalist Shyam Shrestha and student leaders Laxman Acharya, Kundan Raj Kafle and Yub Raj Singh. All of the detaines were arrested in early morning of 19 January 2006 from their homes.

On 21 January 2006, the political detainees carried out the demonstration inside the detention center in response to poor treatment given by APF Inspector Binod Sharma Bhandari, who has asked political detainees to clean their dishes and ordered his juniors to stop providing roti (wheat bread) to the diabetic patients. The protest was stopped on the morning of January 22 after the Deputy Superintendent of Police apologized for the conduct of his staff. Similarly, Mr. Sharma Bahnadari apologized.

A total of 48 men political prisoners are being detained in a steel bunker (roof and wall) and are sharing the bed with colleagues. The detainees are not given adequate drinking water. The toilets are located about 10 minutes walking distance and have to share with the hundreds of soldiers. Known as the Romania Hall, the damp floors have caused 15 people to be admitted to the Birendra Police Hospital after suffering from jaundice.

The health of political prisoners, namely Jagat Raj Shakya, Hari Ram Acharya and Budhbir Lama, was found to be in poor condition due to the appalling state of the detention center. Many detainees are suffering from stomach problems as a result of the cold conditions and poor food quality.

Detained students that are scheduled to attend exams have not been given any indication that they may do so. These students include: Damoar Ghimire, Bimal Pun, Prakash Neupane and Gopal K.C. are.

In a separate building, four women leaders, including Nepali Congress Central committee members Mina Pande and Sujata Koirala, Nepal Sadbhabana Party center committee member Sarita Giri, and student leader Nabina Lama, are being detained. Their living condition is relatively better.

Police Academy- 1, Maharajgunj

A total of 16 senior political party and civil society leaders have been detained, including former deputy prime minister Ram Chandra Poudel, former ministers Khum Bahadur Khadka, Laxman Ghimire, Narahari Acharya, Baldev Sharma Majagaiya, Omkar Shrestha, Dr. Mathura Prasad Shrestha, Dr. Devendra Raj Pande, Tirthram Dangol and N. P. Saud, Peoples Front Leader Hari Acharya and human rights defender Krishna Pahadi. All of them were arrested on the early morning of January 19, 2006 from their homes. However, Mr. Saud and Dangol were arrested on 18 January 2006 while they defied prohibitive order in New Baneswar. They are being treated well.

Police Academy- 2, Maharajgunj

A total of 17 political prisoners have been detained, including CPN-UML leaders Yogesh Bhattarai, Rup Narayan Shrestha and Rameshwar Phuyal, who were arrested from New Baneswar on January 19, 2006 while they defied prohibitive orders. Detainees are facing problems with toilets and showers. One example is of Mr. Phuyal, who only had the opportunity to shower at 2.00 pm, after waiting twelve hours.

Pahara Gana, Tripureswar

A total of 11 political prisoners have been arrested from the New Road area on January 21, 2006 and are still being detained, including Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat, Mahantha Thakur, Mahesh Acharya, Govinda Raj Joshi and former parliamentarians Ghanshyan Sharma Poudel and Ram Nath Adhikari. More that 200 demonstrators who were arrested were released on January 21st after the curfew began. The HRDs also noticed problems with potable water and bathroom facilities in this detention center.

Halchowk, Balambu and Duwakot

HRDs were told to visit the Nepal Police Headquarter during their visit to the APF Headquarter Halchowk to get further information about the detainees. The Nepal Police Headquarters informed the monitors that 63 political prisoners detained in Balambu would be transferred to Duwakot APF Barrack in Bhaktapur.

Earlier the HRDs were not allowed to meet with the detainees in Duwakot. On January 21, 2006, the former general secretary of the Nepal Bar Association was allowed to visit the detention center and disclosed that a total of 37 political prisoners were detained, including Subas Newang, Om Thapalia, Umesh Kuinkel, Mahendra Pande, Yogendra Sangraula, Bhim Rawal, Keshav Badal, Bidur Mainali, Rajendra Shrestha, Ram Kumari Jhankri, Pradeep Gywali, Madhav Paudel, Surendra Pande and Pradeep Nepal.

Protest Continues

The leaders and cadres of the Seven Political Party Alliance, along with student organizations, continue to hold protest programs in Kathamandu, defying prohibitive orders. Similar protests were held on 20 January in the capital amidst the ongoing prohibitive orders in Kathmandu and Lalitpur Districts. Security forces arrested the dozens of leaders and cadres, including student leader Saroj Thapa.

Leaders Freed

The security forces lifted the travel restrictions and house arrest orders for three leaders, including Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala, CPN UML leader K. P. Sharma Oli and Nepal Workers and Peasant Party chairperson Narayan Man Bijukshe. However, CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal and standing committee member Bharat Mohan Adhikari are still under house arrest.

Similarly, the security forces released CPN-UML standing committee member Pradip Nepal on 22 January 2006 due to his poor health.

Observation:

Hundreds of political leaders and activists are still under detention by the regime.

The regime has treated political prisoners very poorly. HRDs also discovered that the regime intends to affect the life of protestors’ families by cutting their telephone access, which is an affront to their human rights.

Immediate family members are only allowed to visit twice in a week during office hours (Wednesday and Saturday), which is not sufficient. Friends and distant family members are not allowed to visit them at all, which adds to further the stress on detainees. Detainees have severe restrictions on telephone services. Only state-owned and pro-government newspapers are provided to detainees, and the Kantipur and The Kathmandu Post are completely prohibited in all detention centers. Radio and television is also prohibited. The health of many political prisoners is deteriorating due to poor conditions in the detention centers, particularly No. 2 Gana.

All political prisoners are given a three months detention paper, except the Secretary of the Nepal Teachers Organization Baburam Thapa, who has been detained in Duwakot under the 1989 Public Security Act.

This regime's Public Security Act has completely violated the fundamental human rights of the people by detaining without just cause, as well as failing to provide adequate facilities to political prisoners, as ensured by the 1990 UN Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners.

Prepared by
Shobhakar Budhathoki
Steering Committee Member
Defend Human Rights Movement- Nepal
GPO Box 21179, Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel: 977 1 4784574
E-mail: peace_sb@yahoo.com