UN watchdog accuses Nepal of rights violation

The United Nations Human Rights Committee has accused Nepal of violation of its human rights obligations in relation to an enforced disappearance case.

The UN rights watchdog found Nepal in violation of Article 7 (the right not to be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in the case of Surya Prasad Sharma, who is alleged to have been forcefully disappeared by personnel of the then Royal Nepalese Army in 2002 in Baglung District, according to a press release issued by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Nepal Friday.

The release added that Sharma was held incommunicado; in violation of Art. 9 (the right to freedom from arbitrary detention) because he was not taken before a judge and given the opportunity to challenge his detention, and in violation of Art. 10 (the right to be treated with humanity and with respect for the inherent dignity of all persons) because he was forcibly disappeared.

The Committee, in the release, reminded Nepal of its obligation to provide an effective remedy in the case, including, a thorough and effective investigation into the disappearance and fate of Sharma and his immediate release if he is still alive. nepalnews.com Nov 28 08