Torture widespread in Nepal: Report

A report of the rights organization Advocacy Forum has presented a very poor condition of human rights in Nepal and said that there is widespread form of torture in Nepal.

A report of the Advocacy Forum said that the forum, documented 5,682 cases of human rights violations during the period of five years (July 2001 to April 2006).

The forum said that it recorded 198 cases of extra-judicial killings, 335 cases of forced disappearances, 2,271 cases of torture, 41 cases of rape of women and 2,837 cases of illegal detention committed by the state security forces and the Maoists.

The forum said that addressing these issues, and ending the use of torture and other human rights violations, will require new laws to protect the rights of detainees in accordance with international norms and reform of the military and police so they are placed fully under civilian authority and subject to the rule of law and prosecutions of those responsible for violations.

The report further said, their torture experiences varied from deprivation of food to electric shock and rape of women, adding, the Forum did not have the capacity to measure the psychological torture and its effect on the victims and their families.

The report further said, Advocacy Forum has faced a number of difficulties in bringing cases of torture. “In the beginning, the Court would not even let us register a complaint where military were the accused.”

The report further said, “One of the major problems in the case of torture is the failure of the State to criminalize the act of torture. Since 1996, the UN Committee against Torture has been asking the Government of Nepal to criminalize the act of torture, but the State has failed to do so