Press freedom violations increased by three-fold in 2025 in Nepal

Kathmandu: Incidents of press freedom violations in Nepal rose three-fold in 2025 compared to the previous year, with 139 such cases recorded, according to a new report released on Wednesday.

As many as 118 journalists and 31 media houses were affected during various movements in 2025, while two journalists died in the line of duty, the report released by the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) said.

In comparison, 60 incidents of press freedom violations were reported in 2024 and 58 in 2023, the report noted, describing the sharp rise in 2025 as a matter of serious concern.

The FNJ attributed the deteriorating situation to growing lawlessness in crimes against journalists, weakening financial conditions of media houses, professional insecurity and increasing physical threats to journalists.

It also criticised what it termed as “undemocratic acts” of the previous KP Sharma Oli-led government, including the ban on 26 social media platforms, saying these moves were major setbacks for the media sector.

During various protests and movements in 2025, media houses suffered institutional losses worth NPR 600 million, while journalists incurred personal property damage estimated at NPR 180 million, the FNJ said.

The report said five journalists sustained bullet injuries during the September Gen Z movement.