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Major Accused Of Torturing Girl To Death In Nepal
Amnesty International
December 8, 2009: Amnesty International has said that the Nepali government must immediately pursue the arrest of Major Niranjan Basnet accused of torturing a 15-year-old Nepalese girl to death expelled last week from a UN peacekeeping mission in Chad.
Major Niranjan Basnet is charged with murdering Maina Sunuwar on February 17, 2004. She died in military custody after she was subjected to electrocution and drowning during interrogation. Her body was later exhumed from an army barracks where Nepali UN peacekeepers are trained.
Instead of ensuring Major Basnet’s arrest and prosecution, the Nepal Army allowed him to continue performing his duties (contrary to the Army Act) and has so far failed to cooperate with the civilian investigations.
In 2008, Major Basnet was one of four soldiers charged by the Kavre District Court with Maina Sunuwar’s killing. All four remain at large.
A military court convicted the other three soldiers in 2005, but only on minor charges following a ruling that her death was the result of “carelessness” as opposed to deliberate torture. They received sentences of only six months in prison, which they did not serve, as the military court counted the time they spent confined to barracks during the investigation.
“We have serious concerns that these military proceedings were neither independent nor impartial.” said Jonathan O’Donohue, of Amnesty International’s International Justice Program.
“Major Basnet must be prosecuted by a civilian court for his alleged involvement in Maina Sunuwar’s murder. If he is still in Chad, the Nepal government should request the UN Mission to detain him and to ensure his transfer back to Nepal to face trial. ” Jonathan O’Donohue said.
This case represents only one of hundreds of killings, enforced disappearances and torture committed by the Nepal Army, which the government and the military continue to ignore.
“All human rights violations committed by soldiers and others must be investigated and, where there is sufficient evidence, those responsible prosecuted in civilian courts,“ said Jonathan O’Donohue.
