Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is forwarding an appeal from the Collective Campaign for Peace on the recent arrest, unlawful detention and torture of peaceful protestors and civil servants in Kathmandu, Nepal.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Collective Campaign for Peace.
Urgent Appeals Desk
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
——————————————————
13 May 2004
Arrests, Incommunicado Detention and Torture in Custody of Civil Servants
The five political parties have continued their movement for the restoration of democracy. The Prime Minister resigned on 7 May 2004, and the country is awaiting the formation of the next government. Agitating political parties are demanding that the King call a joint meeting for dialogue with the leaders of all the five political parties. The five political parties had called for a two-day general strike on 11 and 12 May 2004, and professional organizations including civil servants also expressed solidarity during the general strike.
The police yesterday arrested 7civil servants during a peaceful rally in Kathmandu, in which over 500 civil servant and over 1500 persons representing different professional organizations participated. According to reliable sources, the arrested civil servants have been held in the following detention centres:
Tinkune Police Post, Kathmandu:
1. Bhola Dawadi
2. Sri Narayan Pathak
Anamnagar Police Post, Kathmandu:
3. Tara Koirala
4. Tilak Khanal
5. Daya Ram Pandey
Kamal Pokharai Police Post
6. Rudra Khanal
7. Milan Dhakal
Similarly, the police arrested 12 civil servants (Tara Nath Subedi, Lok Nath Kaphley, Govinda Sahi, Shyam Bahadur Khadka, Dharma Bairagi, Ram Hard Pudasaini, Prasanna Koirala, Ramesh Pokharel, Ms. Sita Giri, Ms. Rajeshwori Pandey, Ms. Durga Thapa and Ms. Pabitra Parajuli) today from a peaceful rally in New Road, Kathmandu. They have been detained in Jansewa Police Custody, Bisaal Bazaar, and Kathmandu. They were arrested without warrant. Men and women have been kept in the same room. One of the detainees, Ms. Sita Giri, was taken to the Bir hospital this evening as, reportedly, she fell unconscious after the police personnel kicked her, in the custody.
None of the detainees arrested yesterday and today have been provided access to lawyers. Their family members have not been allowed to visit them. None of them, reportedly, have been provided medical attention. Those arrested yesterday have neither been released nor were taken to the court today, although the Nepali constitution requires that any arrested person should be produced before the court within 24 hours of arrest.
We condemn these illegal arrests and detention of the peaceful protestors, and strongly demand that the government act according to the domestic laws, constitution and the international human rights laws. We also demand that the government stop its illegal activities immediately.
Collective Campaign for Peace
P.O. Box 15142 KPC 1010,
Anamnagar Kathmandu
Nepal
Phone / Fax: 4265143 / 4260498
E-mail: coordinator@cocap.org.np
Website: www.cocap.org.np
