Nepal: Death of Mr. Primatan Bahadur Gurung

Case NPL 080206

Arbitrary arrest / Detention / Death
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Nepal.

Brief Description of the Situation

The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Informal Sector Service Center (INSEC), a member of the OMCT network, about the arbitrary arrest on 13 January 2006 and the death on 29 January 2006 of Mr. Primatan Bahadur Gurung, 69.

According to the information received, Mr Pritam Bahadur Gurung was arrested along with 29 other people of the village development committee of Manakamana, Syangja district. Security forces arrested the 30 individuals after an incident of cross firing between security forces and Maoists on 12 and 13 January 2006. Mr. Gurung was released in the afternoon of the following day. During his detention, he was allegedly beaten and kept in a cold bunker the whole night. It is worth noting that Mr. Gurung suffered from asthma. After his release, Mr. Gurung was brought by his son and neighbours to the Gandaki Zonal Hospital for treatment.

On 29 January 2006, a fact-finding team from the Human Rights Treaty Monitoring Coordination Committee (HRTMCC) met with Mr. Gurung, who died an hour later, allegedly due to the bad conditions of his detention.

The International Secretariat has no additional information about the 29 other arrested suspects.

Action Requested:

Please write a letter to the authorities in Nepal urging them to:
i. Order a thorough and impartial investigation into these events, in order to identify all those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
ii. Guarantee that adequate compensation is awarded to Mr. Gurung’s family.
iii. Guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.

Addresses:

• His Majesty King Gyanendra, Narayanhity Royal Palace, Durbar Marg, Kathmandu, Nepal
  c/o Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Nepal to the United Nations, 81 rue de la Servette, 1201 Geneva, Switzerland, Fax: +4122 733 27 22; E-mail: mission.nepal@ties.itu.int
  
• Mr. Nain Bahadur Khatri, Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Pulchowck, Lalitpur, Nepal; Email: nhrc@ntc.net.np

Please also write to the embassies of Nepal in your respective country.

Geneva, February 8, 2006

Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.