Review sought in case of jailed journalist

Shantiram AcharyaMedia freedom campaigners are calling on the Bhutanese government to review the case of a journalist who has been jailed for seven and a half years after being accused of having links to a Maoist group.

The case of Shantiram Acharya was first highlighted on this site in January 2007 when he was arrested by soldiers of the Royal Bhutan army.

Three months later, another report on this site quoted media freedom activists in the region expressing concern about Acharya’s safety having been unable to contact him since his arrest.

Now, two years on, Acharya is starting a seven year prison term after being found guilty of having links to outlawed Communist Party of Bhutan. His crime, according to the high court, was being guilty of involvement in subversive activities against Bhutan.The Association of Press Freedom Activists (APFA) Bhutan , says Acharya was arrested when he travelled from Nepal to Bhutan to visit relatives. It’s claimed he was tortured during the months he was missing and that during that time they forced him to confess to the allegations made against him.The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has added its voice to calls for a review of the sentence.

Acharya, had worked as a reporter for the Bhutan Reporter and Bhutan Jagaran, newspapers published by Bhutanese exiles in Nepal.

IFJ says Acharya’s conviction is reportedly based on statements he allegedly made to police while in custody between January 16 and March 16 last year.

These statements were reportedly recounted by him in open court, although the IFJ is unconvinced that the judicial proceedings were either fair or fully comprehensible to the accused, who is an ethnic Nepali.

The IFJ’s Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park says the case need to be looked at again.

"The IFJ urges Bhutan’s authorities to take a humanitarian view of the case of Acharya and review the harsh sentence imposed on him." "The IFJ urges Bhutan’s authorities to take a humanitarian view of the case of Acharya and review the harsh sentence imposed on him."

The IFJ joins APFA and other press freedom groups in calling on Bhutan authorities to make public Acharya’s whereabouts and the conditions in which he is being held, and in urging a review in which Acharya is provided with access to an independent lawyer.
Source: www.mediahelpingmedia.org