Union leaders from the Nepal Press Union (NPU) and the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) were among nine journalists arrested on 16 September 2019 as they protested against job losses in Kathmandu.
Journalists were protesting against the sacking of three journalists from Radio Nepal in Doti in August. Radio Nepal is the government-owned radio. The three journalists were sacked without any prior notice or administrative work.
NPU and FNJ were demanding during the protests the reinstatement of the journalists. At 2 p.m., nine union leaders, including Ajaya Babu Shiwakoti, NPU general secretary; Ram Prasad Dhahal, FNJ secretary; Janmadev Jaishi, Yam Birahi, Min Bam - FNJ Central Committee; Dilip Paudel - NPU Central Committee; Chakra Kuwar, NPU Doti branch vice president; Yogendra Balayar, FNJ Doti Branch president; and Prakash Bam, NPU Doti branch president, were arrested. They were detained for three hours and released at 5 p.m.
