Kathmandu, Dec 28: Global Campaign for the Release of Political Prisoners in Bhutan (GCRPPB), a global initiative formed in 2019 to advocate for the safe release of Bhutanese political prisoners and based in the city of peace and Justice, The Hague, heartily welcomes the release of Bhutanese Human Rights leader and former Amnesty International prisoner of conscience Mr Tek Nath Rijal on bail on 27 December 2023.
He had served for almost six months of imprisonment after he was arrested on 18 May 2023 for alleging to have involved in the fake Bhutanese refugee scandal in Kathmandu Nepal.
Since his arrest, GCRPPB strongly believed that leader Rijal was innocent. Still, due to his strong initiative to become a whistleblower after sensing the criminal activities in the name of Bhutanese refugees among the high-ranking officials in the Nepal government, he was falsely implicated. GCRPPB would like to express its complete faith in the judiciary of Nepal and wholly hopes that Mr Rijal will finally be given a clean chit on the allegation of his involvement in the scandal.
GCRPPB thanks the leading lawyer and his team for defending Mr Rijal’s case in the courts and successfully getting his release on bail. Furthermore, GCRPPB also thanks well-wishers, civil society leaders, Kathmandu-based Human Rights leaders, Journalists, media and everybody for constantly showing concern for the situation of leader Rjzal and supporting his release. It sincerely hope that such support remains intact in the days to come as well.
Rijal is an internationally renowned leader of the Bhutanese refugee movement and was a former high-profile political prisoner of Bhutan. With his arrest, the movement was demoralised, and with his release on bail today, GCRPPB hopes that this movement has been rejuvenated.
GCRPPB also reiterate its appeal to the international community to pressurise Bhutan to release all its political prisoners without further delay, and those already released and living in the refugee camps be allowed to reunite with their families in their resettlement country.
Furthermore, GCRPPB hopes that the Government of Nepal and UNHCR will expedite work to resolve the Bhutanese refugee issue by activating and implementing the three durable solutions per the refugees’ wishes: repatriation, resettlement and local integration. Until those solutions are found, GCRPPB requests that relief agencies resume providing enough relief supplies, including health and education facilities, to all those genuine Bhutanese refugees in the camps.
