SAHR report criticizes Nepal’s state response to Sept 2025 Gen Z protests
The report was unveiled at a program held at Alphabet Complex in Bijulibazar.
KATHMANDU: The South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR) released a report on Monday detailing the Sept 2025 Gen-Z-led protests in Nepal, highlighting serious lapses in state accountability and threats to democratic legitimacy.
The report was unveiled at a program held at Alphabet Complex in Bijulibazar.
Based on research conducted in Oct 2025, SAHR documented over 70 deaths, hundreds of injuries, and extensive damage to public institutions during the protests.
According to SAHR, the movement, initially peaceful and youth-driven, escalated due to deep public dissatisfaction with corruption, political exclusion, and failed governance.
The report also accused criminal and opportunistic political elements of exploiting the demonstrations to carry out arson and vandalism.
The organization raised serious concerns about the state’s response, citing allegations that security forces fired live rounds at unarmed protesters on Sept 8, 2025.
Subsequent attacks on courts, prisons, and government offices led to prisoner escapes and the destruction of key records.
SAHR further expressed worry over the credibility of ongoing judicial investigations, growing reliance on the military, and uncertainty surrounding the upcoming March 2026 elections.
The report urges the government to ensure credible and timely elections, conduct impartial investigations into the events, improve crowd-control measures, and guarantee the safety of journalists and human rights defenders.
