Why Journalist Ravi Nair’s Imprisonment in Defamation Case Is Concerning
Independent investigative journalist Ravi Nair has been in jail since September 17 over a criminal defamation case brought by Adani Enterprises. A court had found him guilty but he had appealed that decision and was allowed to remain free while the appeal was heard. After he missed a hearing, the court issued a warrant for his arrest. Nair went to court to ask for the warrant to be cancelled and was sent to jail instead. The concern is that a single missed hearing has cost him his freedom before the court has decided his appeal.
Anti-Conversion Laws Are a Question of Citizens’ Rights and Freedoms
Maharashtra becoming the 13th state to enact an anti-conversion law once again raises a legal question that goes further than the protection of Christian and Muslim minorities, as the issue is often portrayed. Laws regulating conversion from one religion to another should be assessed by how they affect every citizen’s freedom of conscience and religious expression, rather than by which religious community they appear to protect or threaten.
Are Nepal’s Leaders Blocking Social Media to Contain Rising Political Rivals?
Nepal’s government has ordered a nationwide shutdown of 26 social media platforms. The move appears aimed at suppressing independent political voices who have demonstrated credible governance and built popular support by engaging directly with citizens online, outside the control of established party structures.
Is Nepal Criminalising Dissent in the Name of Digital Regulation?
A bill tabled earlier this year in Nepal’s National Assembly to regulate social media platforms remains pending—thankfully so, as it follows a growing trend across South Asia where governments use legislation to enable surveillance, criminalise criticism and consolidate power. What’s needed is for Nepal’s lawmakers to either annul the bill or amend it substantially. In its current form, its vague language and punitive clauses pose a direct threat to democratic freedoms.