NPL 001 / 0508 / OBS 080
Police search / Death threats /
Harassment
Nepal
May 15, 2008
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Nepal.
The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources about death threats as well as a police search of the house of Mr. Sushil Kumar Lakhe, human rights lawyer and Regional Coordinator of the regional office of Advocacy Forum in Nepalgunj.
According to the information received, on May 11, 2008, about 10 policemen in uniform, including police head constable Mr. Nar Bahadur Baigaar and police constable Dubar Yadav, went to the home of Mr. Sushil Kumar Lakhe, located at Nepalgunj Municipality ward no. 6, Fultekra, Banke district, at about 6:20 pm and searched his home without a search warrant. While Mr. Sushil Lakhe was away during the search, his son who was at home asked the police the reason of this house search but they did not reply. The policemen also opened drawer of his study table and looked through all the documents. After about five minutes, they left his home, and arrested five persons who had come to his home to visit him for personnel matters. However, the visitors were released after a while without being taken to the police station.
Immediately after the incident, Mr. Sushil Kumar Lakhe called Superintendent of police Mr. Ghanashyam Bhatta of District Police Office, Banke district, and Sub-inspector of police Mr. Govinda Rokka of temporary Police Post Fultekra and asked them for the reason of his house search. However, both policemen replied that no police had been deployed there at his home.
Furthermore, on May 2, 2008, at 9.40 pm, Mr. Sushil Kumar Lakhe had been followed by two unidentified people while he was returning home on his motorbike. At one point, they said: “this man says himself as a human rights defender and we have to finish him”. Mr. Kumar Lakhe then managed to speed up and escape his followers. On the same day afternoon, Mr. Kumar Lakhe had accompanied to the District Police Office of Banke a family member of Mr. Kamal Dahal, who was reportedly murdered by the army personnel of Bhimkali Gulm, Banke district, on January 1, 2002. They had gone to the police station to file a first information report against army Major Mr. Ajit Thapa and Captain Ramesh Swar of Bhimkali Gulm of Banke district. However the FIR was denied. On May 4, 2008, the FIR was registered at the Kohalpur Area Police Station, Kohalpur, Banke district.
The Observatory expresses its deep concern regarding these acts of harassment against Mr. Sushil Kumar Lakhe, which seem to merely aim at sanctioning his activities in favour of human rights.
Please write to the Nepalese authorities and ask them to:
Please also write to the diplomatic representations of Nepal in your respective countries.
Geneva - Paris, May 15, 2008
Kindly inform the Observatory of any action undertaken quoting the code number of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, a FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of human rights defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line:
Tel and fax: FIDH : +33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 / 33 (0) 1 43 55 18 80
Tel and fax OMCT : + 41 (0) 22 809 49 39 / + 41 (0) 22 809 49 29
Email : Appeals@fidh-omct.org
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