Police detain activists, assault alleged amid flood victim protest in Nepal

Police in Nepal detained three Gen Z activists on Saturday for attempting to express solidarity with flood victims and advocate for their relocation. The activists, including legal practitioner Majid Ansari, reached a holding center in Kirtipur where displaced squatters were housed after heavy rains flooded the facility.

Ansari stated he was assaulted by police, suffering blurred vision and injuries around his eye, and was taken to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital. He claimed officers used abusive language and questioned his political involvement as a student.

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I was suddenly grabbed by the collar from behind and then beaten. My vision became blurred after I was hit around the eye. I could not see properly.

Fellow activists Sarisma Thapa and Nelson Ghatani were also detained, with Thapa reporting police used offensive language. While they were not held in custody, they were placed in a separate room and later taken for medical examinations. Thapa and Ghatani were released after signing statements promising not to repeat such activities, while Ansari remained hospitalized.

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Although we were not kept in custody, we were placed in a separate room inside the police office. After some time, all three of us were taken to Kirtipur Hospital for medical examination.

In a related incident, police arrested 26 people outside the District Police Office in Morang for staging a sit-in protest in support of Ansari. They were detained for allegedly blocking the police office gate and disrupting operations. These protesters were released on Sunday after signing similar commitments.

The detentions and alleged assault have raised concerns about shrinking space for dissent and the treatment of activists in Nepal.

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They were taken into control after repeated requests to leave were ignored. They were released to their guardians after signing an undertaking not to stage such protests again.