Nepal
23.06.05
Urgent Interventions
Nepal: Release of Mr. Keshav Thapa
Case NPL 170605.1
Follow up to case NPL 170605
Release
Geneva, 23 June 2005
The International Secretariat of OMCT has received new information concerning the following situation in Nepal.
New information:
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by a reliable source that Mr. Keshav Thapa was released on 20 June 2005 from the Surya Binayak army barracks (Bhaktapur district), where he was said to have been tortured and held in detention for one week. Mr. Keshav Thapa is now receiving medical treatment at CVICT.
Reminder of the situation:
The International Secretariat of OMCT was informed by a reliable source that an officer of the Royal Nepal Army (RNA) tortured Mr. Keshav Thapa on 6 April 2005, and that Mr. Thapa was further arrested on 13 June 2005.
According to information received, Mr. Thapa was told that his presence was required at the Surya Binayak Barracks. Both him and his wife attended at the Barracks about 1:00 pm on 6 April 2005. Upon arrival at the Barracks, Mr. Hawaldar Mitra Raj Giri asked them to sit in the waiting room. Mr. Giri started verbally abusing and beating Mr. Thapa on his head, face, chest, stomach and arms. He was tortured for five hours until he agreed to sign a document without knowing its contents. Mr. Thapa fell unconscious and he was then handed over to his wife.
On 8 April 2005, Mr. Thapa filed a petition (no. 4447) with the National Human Rights Commission regarding the incident, filed a Certiorari writ petition to void the document he was forced to sign and attended at CVICT to start treatment and to commence a torture compensation case against Mr. Giri, which was later filed at Bhaktapur District Court on 10 May 2005.
On 13 June 2005, Mr. Thapa attended at the Bhaktapur District Court to follow up on his compensation case against Mr. Giri. Mr. Thapa was arrested at the Court by members of the Royal Nepal Army and taken to Surya Binayak Barracks. Two days latter, his family discovered that Mr. Thapa was being held at the Barracks.
On 16 June 2005, representatives from CVICT Nepal, Informal Sector Service Center (INSEC) and Inhured International accompanied Mr. Thapa’s wife to Surya Binayak Barracks. They met with a Major who denied that Mr. Thapa had been arrested by his officers and promised to help locate Mr. Thapa. Mr. Thapa’s family has information from a reliable source at the Barracks that Mr. Thapa is being held in the Barracks.
The International Secretariat of OMCT wishes to thank the individuals and institutions who intervened on behalf of Mr. Keshav Thapa. However, OMCT continues to be gravely concerned by the dramatic increase in the scale of human rights abuses since King Gyandendra and the RNA seized effective control of all level of powers, declaring a sate of emergency and suspending fundamental constitutional rights on February 1, 2005.
Geneva, June 23, 2005
Follow up to case NPL 170605
Release
Geneva, 23 June 2005
The International Secretariat of OMCT has received new information concerning the following situation in Nepal.
New information:
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by a reliable source that Mr. Keshav Thapa was released on 20 June 2005 from the Surya Binayak army barracks (Bhaktapur district), where he was said to have been tortured and held in detention for one week. Mr. Keshav Thapa is now receiving medical treatment at CVICT.
Reminder of the situation:
The International Secretariat of OMCT was informed by a reliable source that an officer of the Royal Nepal Army (RNA) tortured Mr. Keshav Thapa on 6 April 2005, and that Mr. Thapa was further arrested on 13 June 2005.
According to information received, Mr. Thapa was told that his presence was required at the Surya Binayak Barracks. Both him and his wife attended at the Barracks about 1:00 pm on 6 April 2005. Upon arrival at the Barracks, Mr. Hawaldar Mitra Raj Giri asked them to sit in the waiting room. Mr. Giri started verbally abusing and beating Mr. Thapa on his head, face, chest, stomach and arms. He was tortured for five hours until he agreed to sign a document without knowing its contents. Mr. Thapa fell unconscious and he was then handed over to his wife.
On 8 April 2005, Mr. Thapa filed a petition (no. 4447) with the National Human Rights Commission regarding the incident, filed a Certiorari writ petition to void the document he was forced to sign and attended at CVICT to start treatment and to commence a torture compensation case against Mr. Giri, which was later filed at Bhaktapur District Court on 10 May 2005.
On 13 June 2005, Mr. Thapa attended at the Bhaktapur District Court to follow up on his compensation case against Mr. Giri. Mr. Thapa was arrested at the Court by members of the Royal Nepal Army and taken to Surya Binayak Barracks. Two days latter, his family discovered that Mr. Thapa was being held at the Barracks.
On 16 June 2005, representatives from CVICT Nepal, Informal Sector Service Center (INSEC) and Inhured International accompanied Mr. Thapa’s wife to Surya Binayak Barracks. They met with a Major who denied that Mr. Thapa had been arrested by his officers and promised to help locate Mr. Thapa. Mr. Thapa’s family has information from a reliable source at the Barracks that Mr. Thapa is being held in the Barracks.
The International Secretariat of OMCT wishes to thank the individuals and institutions who intervened on behalf of Mr. Keshav Thapa. However, OMCT continues to be gravely concerned by the dramatic increase in the scale of human rights abuses since King Gyandendra and the RNA seized effective control of all level of powers, declaring a sate of emergency and suspending fundamental constitutional rights on February 1, 2005.
Geneva, June 23, 2005