UN Questions the Appointment of Human Rights Perpetrator as Minister of Nepal

Kathmandu, May 5:The United Nations Human Rights Office in Nepal (UNOHCHR-N) has expressed huge concern over the Political appointment of Agni Sapkota as the Minister for Information and Communication. Sapkota was appointed as the minister on Wednesday during the fourth cabinet expansion as he holds the status of central committee member in United Communist Party of Nepal (UCPN -Maoist). The press release highlights that Sapkota was named as a suspect in police report in 2008 regarding the alleged abduction and killing of Arjun Lama in 2005. The appointment of alleged human rights perpetrator contradicted Nepal’s commitments, as expressed during the Universal Periodic Review process, towards accountability for serious human rights violations and abuses committed during the conflict, and reinforces the culture of impunity in Nepal, reads the statement.

The organization further urges the government to ensure that the name of the person should be fully cleared following any sort of involvement or investigation before any appointment to a high public office is announced.

The UCPN-M remains on the US list of banned terrorist organizations. In June, 2010 the US embassy in Kathmandu denied a visa to Agni Sapkota, a senior Maoist member, for his alleged involvement in the extrajudicial killing of Arjun Bahhadur Lama during the Maoist insurgency.

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