Kathmandu, Aug 14: The U.S. Department of State’s 2024 Human Rights Report is now available online at state.gov.
According to the US Embassy in Kathmandu, the annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices (HRR) captures observations about human rights practices, including respect for fundamental freedoms, and worker rights in 198 countries and territories.
A commitment to human rights is central to the President’s agenda. U.S. policy on promoting respect for human rights around the globe or in any particular country has not changed.
The United States remains committed to working with partners to address serious abuses, promote accountability, and uphold the fundamental rights and freedoms essential to peace, stability, and prosperity, the embassy said.
Executive Summary
There were no significant changes in the human rights situation in Nepal during the year.
Significant human rights issues included credible reports of: arbitrary or unlawful killings; torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment; arbitrary detention; serious restrictions on freedom of expression and media freedom, including violence or threats of violence against journalists and unjustified arrests of journalists; and trafficking in persons, including forced labor.
The government took credible steps to investigate officials who committed human rights abuses, but did not consistently punish officials convicted of human rights abuses.
a. Extrajudicial Killings
There were reports the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings during the year. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) did not receive any allegations of arbitrary killings by security forces. There were some civil society reports of alleged arbitrary and unlawful killings by prison authorities, and official investigations into these incidents were underway.
On February 22, the government paid 500,000 rupees ($3,730) compensation to the family of Padam Limbu, who died from police-inflicted injuries while at a protest in 2023. The government previously paid 1.3 million rupees ($9,700) to Limbu’s family in 2023. The government declared Limbu a martyr for his death and activism.
Regarding cases of alleged custodial deaths and unlawful killings, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) documented four deaths in prison between January and mid-August allegedly resulting from torture, inadequate medical care, and poor physical conditions. On April 8, Sunil Shahi died in prison in the Kailali District after he was reportedly severely beaten by staff and other inmates following an escape attempt. Shahi’s body showed indications of severe physical abuse, including being beaten with an iron rod. An investigation was underway, and a postmortem report was pending.
b. Coercion in Population Control
There were no reports of coerced abortion or involuntary sterilization on the part of government authorities.
Women who became pregnant outside of marriage, especially while working abroad, faced considerable social stigma. Although illegal, child marriage was prevalent, especially in rural areas, and according to NGOs, many girls faced social pressure to have children before being emotionally ready and before their bodies were able to bear children safely.
Freedom of the Press
The constitution and the law provided for freedom of expression, including for members of the press and other media, and the government generally respected this right. Human rights lawyers and some journalists stated that both the constitution and laws were too broad and vague, affording the government latitude to restrict freedom of speech and the press.
The government limited freedom of expression for members of the country’s Tibetan community through its attempts to stop Tibetans from celebrating culturally important events. Under the law, any person who made harsh comments on social media or other online sites against a senior government official could be charged with a crime.
According to the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), on February 19, journalists seeking access to cover National Democracy Day, organized by the Nepali Army, were denied entry to the event space in Tundikhel, Kathmandu. In response, photojournalists staged a protest at the gate of the Army Pavilion, placing their cameras on the ground to express their discontent. According to the FNJ, the journalists were denied access due to the unexpected requirement of a special entry pass for news gathering purposes. The FNJ and the journalists present considered this unnecessarily restrictive due to the public nature of the event and past precedent for documentation.
Physical Attacks, Imprisonment, and Pressure
There were several cases of threats and attacks on journalists who reported on corruption, including the Center for Investigative Journalism-Nepal’s Gopal Dahal, who in December was threatened personally and professionally by Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City Mayor Harka Sampang and his supporters after publishing an investigative report on the mayor’s record.
Censorship by Governments, Military, Intelligence, or Police Forces, Criminal Groups, or Armed Extremist or Rebel Groups
Journalists and NGOs stated several laws, including the criminal code, defamation laws, and the Broadcasting Act and the Working Journalist Acts, could selectively criminalize normal media activity, such as reporting on public figures as well as political influence, and therefore sometimes resulted in self-censorship by media.
The government did not make sufficient efforts to preserve the safety and independence of media.
According to the FNJ, on July 28, public transportation operators vandalized property and assaulted journalists reporting at a protest against ride-sharing services. The government reportedly took no action to address the incident. The FNJ also reported death threats against its former general secretary due to his reporting on in-country smuggling cases.
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