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Kathmandu, January 25

The International Commission of Jurists, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and TRIAL International jointly issued a press release today opposing the candidacy of Agni Prasad Sapkota for the post of speaker. These organisations urged the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) to reconsider Sapkota’s candidacy.

NCP should reconsider Sapkota’s nomination as speaker of the Parliament until there is thorough and independent investigation, the organisations said.

Sapkota has been accused of involvement in the abduction and murder of Arjun Lama in 2005 in Kavre. The case is a subject of proceedings before the Supreme Court of Nepal.

“Nepal authorities should not appoint to high office people under investigation for human rights abuses, when they could interfere with investigation,” said Audrey Oettli, programme manager at TRIAL International.

“Such appointments are yet another illustration of the government’s unwillingness to demonstrate basic commitment to holding perpetrators of conflict-era rights abuses accountable.”

In March 2008, the Supreme Court directed the police to register a case against Sapkota for abducting and killing Lama and investigate. Police did not comply.

The organisations said that in 2010, Australia and the US rejected visa applications from Sapkota due to allegations of serious human rights violations.

These organisations reminded that when Sapkota was appointed information and communications minister in May 2011, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights had issued a statement expressing concern, saying that states have a responsibility ‘to ensure that a person is fully cleared after thorough investigation before any appointment to a high public office is announced’.

“The government and political p

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