Human Rights Groups Urge Reforms for Stability and Accountability
On 24 September, human rights organizations, including Digital Rights Nepal (DRN), voiced concern over Nepal’s fragile transition following the Gen-Z movement. While the interim government has raised some hope, doubts persist about the possibility of timely elections and long-term stability.
The groups urged the government to restore public trust by holding free, fair, and timely elections, and to empower the newly formed commission investigating Gen-Z violations with full independence and adequate resources. They also called for a constitutional review to align reforms with evolving public aspirations, the resumption of stalled administrative, police, and judicial services to ensure rights-based and non-discriminatory delivery, and the creation of an expert task force to strengthen oversight bodies, curb corruption, and guarantee transparent, merit-based appointments.
In addition, the organizations pressed political parties to practice internal democracy and bar corrupt candidates, while encouraging Gen-Z groups to remain organized, serve as a constructive opposition, and continue advocating for transparency. On foreign policy, they emphasized the need for a professional, national interest–focused approach coupled with stronger human rights diplomacy. Combating disinformation and creating effective channels for citizens’ grievances, they noted, will be essential to rebuilding trust.
The organizations concluded that inclusive, transparent, and accountable actions are critical to guiding Nepal toward peace, prosperity, and good governance.
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CIVICUS Ranks Nepal as “Obstructed” Amid Civic Freedoms Crackdown
The CIVICUS Monitor has rated Nepal’s civic space as “obstructed,” citing arbitrary arrests, excessive force against protesters, restriction on free speech and continued harassment and persecution against journalists. In its July 2025 submission to the UN ahead of Nepal’s 2026 Universal Periodic Review, CIVICUS and the Asia Human Rights Commission highlighted attacks on journalists, restrictions on peaceful assembly, and disproportionate use of force during demonstrations. These concerns escalated in September 2025 when police violently cracked down on mass Gen-Z–led protests against corruption and a sweeping ban on social media platforms. The protests left over 70 people dead, hundreds injured, and media outlets attacked, with journalists facing assaults and arrests. The ban on 26 platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, and X, was eventually lifted after public outcry, but prior restrictions on Telegram and court-ordered removal of news articles signaled increasing curbs on expression. Online Media Registration Shifted Back to Information Department
The government has decided that online media registration and renewal will now be handled by the Department of Information and Broadcasting, instead of District Administration Offices. Minister for Communications Jagadish Kharel said the cabinet meeting appointed the department’s Director General as the local authority under the Press and Publication Act 1991, reverting to the earlier practice. Associations Condemn former Minister for Threatening Journalist
Media organizations, including the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) and Nepal Press Union, have condemned CPN-UML leader and former minister Mahesh Basnet for allegedly threatening journalist Tekman Shakya, editor-in-chief of Nepal Times Dot Com. An audio recording revealed Basnet issuing repeated threats over the phone. Journalist Shakya reported additional death threats from an unidentified caller. Press bodies have called the incident a serious attack on press freedom and demanded legal action against Basnet and his associates.
‘Expose Jhole’ Trend Goes Viral on TikTok
A new social media trend, Expose Jhole, has gone viral in Nepal, following the earlier Nepobaby campaign that criticized the privileges of political leaders’ children. The trend, driven largely by Gen Z, collects and shares photos and videos of political leaders, their close supporters, and activists to highlight their proximity and loyalty. Labeled as “Jhole”, person who blindly follow leaders, individuals are being exposed under the hashtag #ExposeJhole, making the trend a major subject of political satire and social debate.
‘Gen Z Rising Nepal’ Hacks Raswapa Website Targeting Rabi Lamichhane
Hacker group Gen Z Rising Nepal breached the Rastriya Swatantra Party’s website through an SQL injection, replacing its press release section with a message against Chairman Rabi Lamichhane. The group accused him of evading legal action over dual citizenship and hiding “suspicious financial transactions,” warning “we will neither forgive nor forget.” Though the site was later restored, the hackers leaked Lamichhane’s citizenship copy and activists’ personal details on Telegram.
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Dialogue on Countering Misinformation and Disinformation
On 18 September 2025, UNDP Nepal, ACORAB, and CIN, with support from Norway in Nepal and as part of the wider UN Nepal initiative, organized a dialogue on “Role of Stakeholders in Countering Misinformation and Disinformation.” Adv. Santosh Sigdel, Executive Director of Digital Rights Nepal, joined as one of the panelists.
At a time when misinformation and disinformation are threatening public trust, the program brought together media representatives, civil society, legal experts, and youth to foster evidence-based discourse and strengthen democratic resilience to mitigate misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech.
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Digital Rights Nepal at #UNRBHR2025
Digital Rights Nepal joined partners at the United Nations Responsible Business and Human Rights Forum 2025 (#UNRBHR2025) in a hybrid session on 16 September 2025. The session examined the human and environmental costs of Asia’s digital transformation and emphasized the importance of rights-based approaches and accountability mechanisms.
Organized in collaboration with Fair Finance Asia, FORUM-ASIA, Oxfam in Asia, and Digital Rights Foundation, the discussion brought together governments, digital platforms, multilateral financiers, communities, and civil society to advance human rights, strengthen accountability, and expand civic space in the region. The session featured the presentation of sub-regional case studies highlighting risks and impacts of digital transformation, promoted regional solidarity to hold platforms, governments, and financiers accountable, and facilitated multi-stakeholder exchanges on business and human rights standards, platform governance, and financial sector due diligence.
Speakers included representatives from Hashtag Generation, Fair Finance Asia, Oxfam in Asia, Digital Rights Nepal, and Digital Rights Foundation, with moderation by FORUM-ASIA.
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| नेपालीहरुको महान् चाड विजयादशमी २०८२, शुभ दीपावली, नेपाल संवत् ११४६ र छठ पर्वको पावन अवसरमा डिजिटल राइट्स नेपाल परिवारका तर्फबाट सबैमा हार्दिक शुभकामना । सबैको जीवनमा सुख, शान्ति, र समृद्धि छाओस् तथा सम्पूर्ण नेपालीहरुको प्रगति होस् भन्ने शुभेच्छा व्यक्त गर्दछौँ । |
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Digital Rights Weekly is a week-based update on Digital Rights and ICT issues, that happened throughout the week, compiled and analyzed from the digital rights perspective by Digital Rights Nepal (DRN). DRN is a not-for-profit initiative dedicated to the protection and promotion of digital rights, including the right to online freedom of expression and association, online privacy, access to information, and related issues such as internet governance, cyber laws/policies, and cyber securities in Nepal.
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