Protesters Demand Release of Gen-Z Activists Detained in Kaski

Pokhara. Kaski police are investigating several individuals arrested on charges of vandalism and arson during the Gen-Z protests held on Bhadra 23 and 24.

The court has remanded the arrested individuals to judicial custody. However, claiming the movement was aimed at good governance and anti-corruption, a memorandum has been submitted demanding the unconditional release of all those arrested and the withdrawal of cases filed against them.

Forming the 'Gen-Z Movement Case Resolution Pressure Group,' parents and relatives submitted the memorandum to the Ministry of Home Affairs through the District Administration Office, Kaski, on Thursday. They allege that the government is pursuing political vendetta by arresting youths based on CCTV footage and filing false charges during the nationwide protests.

Coordinator Khali Thapa stated that since the current government was formed on the foundation of this very movement, they expect justice. They have demanded the immediate withdrawal of all politically motivated cases related to the Gen-Z movement.

Furthermore, they have demanded the unconditional release of the protesters currently in custody and assurances that no political retaliation or legal pressure will be applied to citizens involved in the movement. Thirteen detainees currently held in Kaski prison have also sent a separate petition addressed to the Home Minister.

They complained that they have been framed with serious charges such as criminal nuisance, possession of weapons, and theft. Rupesh Magar, Narayan Shahi, Suraj Sahani, Dipu Shahi, Deepak Kunwar, Hussain Miya, Shyam Lama, Sagar alias Suman Rawat, Suraj Gurung, Dipesh Khatri, Samar Nalmi, Keshav Bomjan, and Anish Gurung are in custody. Nalmi is a minor, and the pressure group has expressed strong objection to his detention.

The group alleges that criminalizing a transformative movement driven by the active participation of youth is a mockery of democracy. The memorandum states, 'We hope for swift positive action, trusting that justice, human rights, and civil liberties will be protected in line with the spirit of the new mandate.'