Press Release

Supreme Court Order on the arrest of CWIN President Mr. Gauri Pradhan to present the detainee before the court

Kanthmandu, 22 February 2005.

The Supreme Court has issued an order in the name of Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Defence, Police Headquarters, District Administration Office, Kathmandu and District Police Office, Kathmandu to be present at the court on 28th February 2005 with the detainee in person over the writ petition filed against the arrest of CWIN President Mr. Gauri Pradhan without any reason while he was returning from his official meetings in Europe on 17th February 2005. The court order has been issued by the single bench of Honorable Judge Mr. Paramananda Jha. The president of Nepal Bar Association Mr. Shambhu Thapa and Advocate Mr. TIka Ram Bhattarai have defended the writ petition.

A writ petition was filed earlier on the 21st February 2005 under the Habeas Corpus against the illegal detention of CWIN President Mr. Gauri Pradhan. The writ petition was jointly filed by Mr. Tarak Dhatal (CWIN), Ms. Sumnima Tuladhar (Wife), Ms. Shanti Adhikari (Alliance for Human Rights and Social Justice) and Ms. Ganga Kasaju (Human Rights Activist).

Mr. Pradhan was returning back after attending the International Council Meeting of the Global March Against Child Labour in The Netherlands and meeting with NGO Group on the Convention of the Rights of the Child in Switzerland. He left Kathmandu on 30th January, before the declaration of state of emergency in Nepal. Different national and international human rights organizations have shown their deep concern over the detention of Mr. Pradhan even when he did not violate any emergency orders. They have also asked the government for his immediate and unconditional release.

Tarak Dhital
Spokesperson
CWIN-Nepal