Kathmandu- Nepal\u2019s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has recommended investigations into 17 sitting lawmakers from Prime Minister Balendra Shah\u2019s ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and proposed legal action against former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and two former ministers over alleged human rights violations during the violent Gen-Z protests of September 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The report made public on Wednesday after a six-month investigation paints a picture of a protest movement that began peacefully but spiralled into nationwide violence, killings, arson and attacks on major state institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The commission said there were grounds for a \u201cmicro-level investigation\u201d into whether statements, social media activity and actions by several RSP leaders contributed to unrest, incitement and the breakdown of public order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those named include RSP President Rabi Lamichhane, Sudhan Gurung, Ganesh Karki, Sulabh Kharel, Hari Dhakal, Bablu Gupta, Toshima Karki, Rajiv Khatri, KP Khanal, Deepak Bohara, Manish Jha, Jwala Sangroula, Purushottam Yadav, Ashika Tamang, Shiva Yadav and Amit Khanal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the report, investigators relied on media reports, intelligence inputs, public speeches and social media posts to determine whether their actions may have fuelled public anger or agitation during the protests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lamichhane, who was in Nakkhu Jail on cooperative fraud and money laundering charges at the time was singled out in the report over his release from custody during the unrest. The NHRC said lawmakers and supporters linked to the RSP reached the prison and led protesters in storming the facility, triggering a wider wave of jailbreaks across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The commission recommended further investigation into whether Lamichhane violated prison laws and facilitated the release of other detainees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The NHRC also directly named former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak and former Communications Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung as responsible for human rights violations during the September 8-9 crackdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It argued that existing Nepali laws do not adequately address violations of this nature and recommended that the government introduce a new law allowing prosecution of public officials accused of serious human rights abuses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The proposed law would allow penalties of up to six months in prison, a fine of Rs 300,000, bans on contesting elections or holding public office, suspension from administrative duties and temporary foreign travel restrictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pending enactment of the law, the commission recommended suspending all individuals named in the report from public office for at least six months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The report says the protests began peacefully at Maitighar Mandala on September 8, 2025, led largely by young people demanding political accountability. However, the commission concluded that the demonstrations were later infiltrated by organised groups that pushed the movement toward violence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Among them, the NHRC specifically identified the Tibetan Original Blood (TOB) biker group as playing a major role in escalating the unrest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the report, violence intensified near the Everest Hotel area in New Baneshwar after the sudden arrival of around 15 to 20 individuals identified by black \u201cTOB\u201d T-shirts and body tattoos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The commission described TOB as a biker faction that allegedly used students and young protesters as human shields while provoking attacks and arson targeting the Federal Parliament building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It alleged that the group encouraged protesters to breach restricted zones, attack security personnel with stones and move toward sensitive government sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The NHRC further said social media mobilisation contributed to the violence, including online calls encouraging protesters to bring Molotov cocktails and the circulation of AI-generated images depicting attacks on state institutions before the unrest erupted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The report documented widespread destruction during the protests, including attacks on Parliament, Singha Durbar, the Supreme Court complex and Sheetal Niwas. Vehicles belonging to the NHRC, ambulances and other government property were also vandalised and torched.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At least 76 people including protesters, civilians, police personnel and detainees were killed across multiple incidents, according to the commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The NHRC found that 42 protesters and civilians died near Parliament after security forces opened fire using live ammunition. It also recorded deaths in arson attacks, mob violence and prison incidents during the unrest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Three police personnel were beaten to death on September 9 while 21 others died in arson incidents nationwide. Ten detainees were also killed a day later during alleged escape attempts from prisons and correction centres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The report also questioned the delayed deployment of the Nepal Army, saying soldiers were mobilised only after major government buildings had already been attacked and set on fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The commission criticised failures in coordination between security agencies and noted that army personnel stationed inside Singha Durbar appeared to make little effort to defend the complex during the violence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The NHRC recommended legal and institutional reforms including clearer laws governing army deployment during internal unrest, stronger coordination between security agencies and better crowd-control training and equipment for police.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It also directed the government to provide lifetime medical treatment for injured victims, compensation and support for affected families and long-term disability assistance for those permanently injured during the protests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One notable omission from the report is Prime Minister Balendra Shah himself. Despite serving as Kathmandu mayor during the protests and providing a statement to investigators, the report neither recommends investigation against him nor explains why he was excluded.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Kathmandu- Nepal\u2019s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has recommended investigations into 17 sitting lawmakers from Prime Minister Balendra Shah\u2019s ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and proposed legal action against former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and two former ministers over alleged human rights violations during the violent Gen-Z protests of September 2025. The report made […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":28513,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28512","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","category-special-report"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n