NEW YORK, Apr 16: The Committee to Protect Journalists, a city-based nonprofit body involved in efforts to safeguarding the lives of scribes worldwide, has urged the authorities in Nepal not to pursue charges under the nation’s cybercrime act against the editor of Tandav News, a weekly publication.
The journalist, Arjun Giri, was detained on Monday.
Giri was held in Pokhara and police escorted him to Kathmandu so that the Central Investigation Bureau could investigate, after a businessman whom Giri reported on, filed a complaint under the cybercrime act, according to news reports.
The complaint relates to an April 5 article written and published by Giri that alleged financial fraud. The article was about Bipendra Raj Batas, who is part of a Nepalese auto company, Batas.
CPJ also champions the cause of press freedom around the world.
“Nepalese authorities should not allow the cybercrimes act to be used as a tool to silence critical journalists,”
CPJ Deputy Executive Director Robert Mahoney said in a statement- “Authorities should drop the investigation against Arjun Giri and allow him to continue reporting freely.”
If convicted, Giri could face a fine of 100,000 Nepali rupees (900 dollars) and up to five years in prison, under Clause 47 of the Electronic Transaction Act for “publication of illegal materials in electronic format.”
(UNI)
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