Alarming Surge in Press Freedom Violations in Nepal

In Nepal, press freedom violations tripled in 2025, with 139 cases reported, affecting 118 journalists and 31 media houses. Two journalists died, and the FNJ attributed this to lawlessness and government actions. The media sector incurred significant financial losses during various protests and movements.

According to a report released by the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ), incidents of press freedom violations dramatically increased three-fold in Nepal during 2025, with a total of 139 cases documented. This represents a significant rise from 60 reported incidents in 2024 and 58 in 2023, raising serious concerns among stakeholders.

The report highlighted that 118 journalists and 31 media houses suffered varying degrees of impact during the year's numerous movements. Tragically, this included the deaths of two journalists killed in the line of duty. The FNJ attributed the escalating threats to a series of factors including rising lawlessness, a weakening financial depth within media entities, and diminishing professional security for journalists.

The report was especially critical of the previous government led by KP Sharma Oli, citing actions like the ban on 26 social media platforms as major setbacks for press freedom. It detailed financial losses for media houses totaling NPR 600 million, alongside personal property damages to journalists estimated at NPR 180 million. Furthermore, five journalists endured bullet injuries during the September Gen Z movement.

(With inputs from agencies.)