Nepal: Further information on: Fear for safety/ Possible "disappearance": Maheshwar Pahari (m)

Index Number: ASA 31/078/2005
Date Published: 9 October 2005
Categories: Asia And The Pacific, Nepal

Journalist Maheshwar Pahari died in custody on 4 October, after 21 months imprisoned without trial. He was reportedly seriously ill, but the prison authorities had reportedly refused him proper medical treatment. He was arrested by a group of uniformed soldiers on 2 January 2004 in Khorako Mukh village, in Lwang Ghalel Village Development Committee (VDC) in Kaski district. On 23 August 2004 the Kaski District Administration Office confirmed that he was in "preventive detention" in Kaski jail, Pokhara. They reported that he was being held under the 2002 Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Control and Punishment) Act (TADA).