The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has said the government authorities have detained at least 113 opposition political leaders and human rights activists in Kathmandu on Thursday ahead of a major protest program of the seven-party alliance on Friday.
According to a press statement issued by the NHRC this evening, its monitoring team has found that 113 persons including several senior opposition political leaders and five and human rights activists have been detained by the security forces.
Among the arrested leaders and cadres, 59 are from the CPN (UML), 30 from Nepali Congress, nine from People’s Front Nepal (PFN), eight from the Nepali Congress (Democratic) and four leaders of the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party leaders, the NHRC said.
Arrested human rights and civil society leaders are – Dr Mahura Shrestha, Krishna Pahari, Dr Devendra Raj Pandey, Nilambar Acharya and Shayam Shrestha.
A team led by NHRC member Sudeep Pathak met leaders of major political parties including NC president Girija Prasad Koirala and UML general secretary Madhav Nepal and inquired about the condition of detained leaders and cadres. The team also held separate discussions with Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) chairman Pashupati Shumsher Rana and Rastriya Janashakti Party (RJP) Surya Bahadur Thapa over the human rights situation in the country.
The detained leaders and human rights activists have been kept at various police stations in the capital. Security officials had started rounding up the leaders from early morning.
Nepali Congress (NC) president Girija Prasad Koirala has been placed under house arrest at his Maharajgunj residence while CPN (UML) general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal is under tight security surveillance, according to the NHRC.
The Home Ministry said altogether 100 persons were taken into security control today.
In the western district of Palpa, five political workers were detained by the security forces this afternoon, reports said.
Meanwhile, political parties, human rights groups and the international community have denounced the arrests of senior political leaders and human rights activists.
Issuing statements immediately after the arrests, various human rights groups and the international community said the government’s repressive actions were against the anti-democratic and against human rights norms.
The Nepali Congress (NC) and the CPN (UML) issuing separate press statements said that by imposing ban on public gatherings and arresting the leaders and activists was trying to augment the authoritarian rule.
Similarly, various human rights groups including Human Rights Organisation of Nepal (HURON), Human Rights and Peace Society (HURPES), Forum for Protection of Human Rights (FOFUR) and Freedom Forum denounced the government action against political leaders and cadres and human rights workers, demanding immediate release of the arrested.
Likewise, India and the European Union (EU) have expressed “grave concern” over the Nepal’s government’s clampdown on the political parties.
Talking to media persons in New Delhi Thursday afternoon, spokesperson of the Indian External Affairs Ministry, Navtej Serna, said, “These actions of His Majesty’s government of Nepal are regrettable and a matter of grave concern to all those who wish to see the constitutional forces in Nepal working together to achieve peace and stability in the country.”
Similarly, a statement issued by the Finnish Embassy that chairs the 25-member EU said, “The EU Heads of Mission in Kathmandu are extremely concerned about the recent developments in Nepal, in particular about the arrests of democratic party leaders, members of civil society and human rights activists.”