Political analyst Bharat Dahal was arrested in Morang, Koshi Province, on September 20.
Dahal was in Morang to attend a political event when he was arrested. It is said that he was arrested over his expressions on social media and for allegedly spreading false information about the government. According to the national daily Republica, he has been accused of sharing a report published by The Grayzone, an independent news website, on social media on September 12. The report is about Gen Z protests held on September 8–9, 2025.
Freedom Forum contacted the Cyber Bureau of Nepal Police regarding Dahal’s case. A police officer told FF that Dahal has been charged under the Section 47 of Electronic Transactions Act (ETA). He further said the Court remanded Dahal in police custody for two days on September 21 for further investigation. However, the police declined to provide details about the grounds for the investigation and complainant.
Following his detention, Dahal’s daughter Denika Dahal filed a habeas corpus petition at the Supreme Court challenging his detention. The Court issued a show-cause order on September 22 in connection with the petition. The court has directed defendants to submit written response within 24 hours of the order.
Freedom Forum is concerned over the arrest and detention of Dahal. Arresting an individual solely for sharing a report on social media is a sheer violation of freedom of expression and opinion.
If the shared report contains false information or disputed content, the concerned media outlet should be approached directly. Resorting to cybercrime offense merely for sharing a news report and expressing political views on social media risks misuse of the Electronic Transactions Act (ETA) and has chilling effect on freedom of expression.
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