FNJ, Editor's Alliance condemn raid on Himal Khabarpatrika distributor's
office
The Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) and the Editors' Alliance
today condemned the attack on the office of the distributor of fortnightly
news magazine Himal Khabarpatrika Sunday night.
They said the raid on the office of Customer Solution, the distributor of
Himal Kiabarpatrika, by a group of around 20 masked men who burned down
the copies of the new issue of the magazine, was a direct attack on the
independent press.
The attackers, some of them dressed in combat fatigues, took out bundles
of the magazine poured kerosene on them and set them on fire. They also
threatened to kill distribution staff and looted their mobile phones.
FNJ president Dharmendra Jha in a statement demanded strong action against
the attackers and asked the government to be serious about the security of
journalists and media outlets.
Likewise, the Editors' Alliance said, "We take this as a serious threat to
press freedom, and the attack fits a pattern of intimidation and threats
against the independent media."
This is the second attack on Himalmedia in less than a month. The
company's CEO, Ashutosh Tiwari, and his driver were targeted on 25 October
when two men in a motorcycle threw rocks and damaged the vehicle in which
they were traveling. nepalnews.com Nov 17 08
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