Nepal: media worker threatened for publishing news on COVID-19 vaccine misuse
Event- Country
- Nepal
- Initial Date
- Jun 14, 2021
- Event Description
Associate editor at https://annapurnatimes.com/ Gyanu Shrestha was issued threat of attack for publishing news in Ramechhap on June 14. Ramechhap district lies in Bagmati Province of Nepal.
Talking to Freedom Forum, editor Shrestha shared that she had published news about the misuse of vaccination drive where groups other than targeted people received vaccine on June 11. They shared photos taken during vaccination as well.
On this, a local teacher Khyaan Bahadur Shrestha called her by phone and threatened her of attack for publishing his pictures in the news. He also spoke foul on her and said that the photos tarnished his image.
Editor Shrestha, however, said that she had received those photographs from other sources which were also posted on Shrestha's own facebook page. She also confirmed that he along with others have misused the vaccination drive which was open only for people aged 60-64 years.
"I have filed a complaint at the district police station, the senior official has assured me of fair investigation", she informed.
Freedom Forum condemns the threat issued to the journalist for doing her job. Reporting on the social irregularities and malfunctions is the prior duty of a journalist and being intimidated merely for doing one's job is deplorable.
Hence, FF strongly urges the concerned to apologize for the misbehavior, threat and respect journalists' right to free press.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Woman
- Violation
- Intimidation and Threats
- Rights Concerned
- #COVID-19
- Online
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- HRD
- Media Worker
- WHRD
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Non-state
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Event Location
Latitude: 27.758404467153387
Longitude: 85.36028379999021
- Event Location
- Summary for Publications
On 14 June 2021, Gyanu Shrestha, media editor, was threatened by a local teacher who allegedly received undue COVID-19 vaccine in Bagmati Province, Nepal.