Kathmandu, Nepal – Nepal’s interim government, led by Prime Minister Sushila Karki, is facing increasing pressure to release long-delayed reports detailing human rights violations and abuses committed during past periods of unrest, and conflict. The call for transparency comes from Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the International Commission of Jurists, who argue that the continued suppression of these findings perpetuates a culture of impunity within the country.
The organizations issued a joint statement on , urging Prime Minister Karki to publish the report from the Commission of Inquiry into the violence that erupted during the “Gen Z” protests in September 2025. These protests, sparked by concerns over government corruption and a ban on social media, resulted in the deaths of at least 76 people, many of whom, rights groups allege, were unlawfully killed by police forces. The then-Prime Minister K.P. Oli resigned on , and Karki was appointed interim prime minister on , with a mandate to oversee elections and investigate the September violence.
However, the call for transparency extends beyond the recent protests. The organizations are also demanding the release of all previous judge-led inquiry reports that have remained unpublished by successive Nepali governments. This pattern of concealing findings, they contend, has undermined accountability and fueled repeated human rights violations and widespread corruption.
“Successive Nepali governments have buried a series of reports with recommendations that could have led to justice and reform, and ignored the findings,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The Karki government has a unique opportunity to start dismantling the culture of impunity, by publishing all the reports documenting violations against protesters and those taking part in people’s movements.”
The issue of unpublished inquiry reports dates back to the beginning of Nepal’s current democratic era in 1990. Following the 1990 People’s Movement, the findings of the Malik Commission, established to investigate violence against protesters, were suppressed. A similar fate befell the Rayamajhi Commission report in 2006, after a second people’s movement ended a period of royal rule. That report detailed violence against protesters, including the reported deaths of at least 19 individuals, but was never made public.
More recently, the Lal Commission was established in 2015 to investigate the deaths of approximately 45 people during protests against a new constitution. Despite repeated promises, its report remains unpublished. Numerous other official reports on rights violations since 1990 have also been kept from the public eye.
The commission investigating the “Gen Z” protests, chaired by former justice Gauri Bahadur Karki (who is not related to the interim prime minister), had its deadline extended beyond election day – – due to concerns that its findings could be opposed by security forces or political actors and potentially disrupt the election environment, according to reports.
Prime Minister Karki herself acknowledged the significance of the “Gen Z” movement, stating in October that it “reflects people’s profound aspiration for good governance, economic opportunity and integrity in public life.” The protests were largely driven by the frustrations of young people over economic stagnation and perceived corruption within the political system.
Isabelle Lassée, deputy regional director for South Asia at Amnesty International, emphasized the need for a broader commitment to addressing impunity. “One of the reasons Nepal has been trapped in cycles of governance marked by weak accountability, and human rights violations, is that impunity has been hard-wired into elite politics, but Prime Minister Karki can take an historic step to reverse that trend by releasing all the reports,” she said.
Lassée also highlighted the importance of addressing the legacy of the 1996-2006 internal armed conflict, which claimed over 20,000 lives. The 2006 Comprehensive Peace Agreement included provisions for transitional justice, including accountability for perpetrators, reparations for victims, and the investigation of enforced disappearances. However, progress on these fronts has been repeatedly stalled by political interference.
In 2024, Nepal’s parliament amended the law on transitional justice, removing some provisions that could have allowed amnesty for those responsible for serious crimes under international law. While some victims’ groups welcomed these amendments, the process remains fraught with challenges. In 2025, many victims’ representatives rejected appointments to the transitional justice bodies, citing concerns about their qualifications and political independence.
The organizations stress that victims and survivors of crimes committed during Nepal’s internal armed conflict continue to await justice and reparations. The repeated shielding of those suspected of wrongdoing by successive governments, they argue, must end. Mandira Sharma, Asia and Pacific Regional Director at the International Commission of Jurists, stated, “To break the cycle of impunity and help build a future based on the rule of law, the interim government should publish all of the reports by official commissions into past human rights violations before it leaves office. All parties that aspire to lead Nepal after the election should publicly commit to fearlessly pursuing justice for corruption and human rights violations and abuses, including by successfully completing the transitional justice process taking victims and civil society’s voices into consideration.”
The upcoming parliamentary elections on , present a critical opportunity for Nepal’s political parties to demonstrate their commitment to accountability and the rule of law. The international community will be watching closely to see whether the country can finally break free from the cycle of impunity that has plagued it for decades.
