Nepal freezes passports of toppled PM Oli & 4 other officials over killings during Gen-Z protests

Weeks after the protests toppled the government in Nepal, the country’s interim regime has frozen the passports of former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, along with four other officials. The measure was taken due to their connection with the violent suppression of the nationwide Gen Z protests on September 8 and 9.

On Sunday, Nepal’s home ministry moved to freeze the passports on the recommendation of the judicial commission investigating the suppression. During the Gen Z protests on September 8, nineteen youths were killed in and around the federal parliament building at New Baneshwar when police hurled live ammunition to prevent the advance of youths, The Kathmandu Post reported.

The youths of Nepal were protesting against rampant corruption and a ban on social media. The death toll in the 2-day protests eventually climbed to 75. After toppling the government, the Gen Z protesters agreed to appoint former Chief Justice of Nepal, Sushila Karki, as the country’s interim Prime Minister. She is the first woman in the country to hold the post.

According to The Kathmandu Post, those facing passport freeze included Ramesh Lekhak, then home minister, then home secretary Gokarna Mani Duwadi, then National Investigation Department chief Hutaraj Thapa, and then chief district officer of Kathmandu, Chhabi Rijal.

As per the statement issued by Bigyan Raj Sharma, a member of the judicial commission, five of the aforementioned police officers will not be able to leave the country. They have also been barred from leaving the Kathmandu Valley. Meanwhile, the Judicial Commission Gauri Bahadur Karki said the decision was made to ensure accountability as inquiries progress.

“We may require additional human resources to complete the investigation effectively, and we will request support from the home ministry,” Karki said on Sunday.

Why it matters

It is pertinent to note that this is one of the most high-profile actions since the interim government formed after the Gen Z uprising pledged to investigate the killings of 19 young demonstrators and the subsequent incidents of violence and killings that took place the next day.

The CPN-UML has objected to the passport freeze. On Sunday, a secretariat meeting, which was underway at Bhaktapur, promptly reacted to the government decision. “The secretariat meeting expresses a serious objection to this act of political revenge,” a statement issued by the party read.

Meanwhile, families of the victims and human rights defenders have been demanding not just compensation but also stringent legal consequences for those who were responsible for the killings during the protests.

However, it is pertinent to note that the investigation against Nepal’s former prime minister remains politically sensitive since Oli still holds sway over the CPN-UML, the second-largest party in the dissolved House of Representatives. The judicial inquiry was formed by a Cabinet meeting on September 21.

The commission’s decision also came a day after Oli expressed his anger over the reports that the authorities were considering withholding the passports of several top officials from the previous government.

While addressing his supporters on Saturday, Oli expressed his anger against the Karki administration. “Now the government is talking about revoking my privileges, withholding my passport, and filing cases against me. They’re throwing the country into insecurity—shouldn’t they be responsible for ensuring security?” he told the gathering on Saturday, according to the Kathmandu Post.