Media personalities, intellectuals and scholars from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, the UK, US, Australia and Sri Lanka have called for the immediate release of prominent Nepali journalist Kanak Mani Dixit, who was arrested over an allegation of corruption.
The veteran journalist was arrested on Friday by Nepal’s anti-graft officials.
In a statement, scores of mediapersons and public figures across South Asia, said: “It is with deep concern that we have learned of the arrest today of Kanak Mani Dixit, the widely respected founder-editor of Himal Media and a courageous voice for transparency, freedom of expression and democratic rights in Nepal and across South Asia.
“The charges are related to alleged corruption, but Kanak Dixit says it is part of a vendetta pursued against him by people in Government.”
The statement further stated: “We have known Kanak Dixit as a true professional, human rights defender and energetic journalist whose credentials are built on robust research and tremendous courage. Himal Media, a pioneer in South Asia journalism, has published Himal South Asia, Nepali Times and Himal Khabar Patrika (in the Nepali language).
“He has written extensively for international media including leading newspapers in India and is chairman of Sajha Yatayat, a state-run transportation company, which he has been turning around from a loss-making entity.”
Noting that Kanak Dixit’s detention comes at a time of increased pressure on free media across South Asia, the noted personalities call upon all national and international media organisations, individual journalists and editors, defenders of media under pressure, on those “who believe in the freedom of expression,” to seek Kanak Dixit’s immediate release and a fair and transparent trial, free of bias.
“We call upon the Government of Nepal to issue a transparent and unequivocal statement on his detention for we are deeply concerned about his safety and rights,” the statement said adding that “We condemn all forms of pressure tactics on editors like him and other courageous media figures such as Mahfuz Anam of the Daily Star in Dhaka, who is facing over 80 cases of sedition and libel in Bangladeshi courts, and other media persons who are committed to the rule of law and justice.”
The 60-year-old journalist is accused of selling the organisation’s property as his own inheritance and investing the income in other corporations. He has also been alleged to have procured a house and land in his name in the US.
The property details submitted to the CIAA do not match the actual property registered in his and his family members names, according to a statement.
The civil society leader, however, told local media after the arrest that the move followed an undemocratic decision by CIAA chief Lokman Singh Karki.
Dixit, the publisher of Himal and Nepali Times magazines who also writes for leading India media outlets, said he has been kept in custody at the CIAA central office in Tangal of Kathmandu.
Earlier in December, the commission had summoned Dixit to its office to inquire about sources of his income. Dixit had challenged the move at the Supreme Court.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
