Nepal: Amnesty Condemns Deadly Crackdown on Gen‑Z Protests, Calls for Justice

Nepal: Amnesty Condemns Deadly Crackdown on Gen‑Z Protests, Calls for Justice
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Amnesty International has issued a scathing condemnation of Nepal’s security forces following a violent crackdown on youth-led “Gen‑Z” protests, calling for independent investigations and accountability for unlawful killings, excessive use of force and human rights violations.

According to a new briefing titled “We went there to raise our voice, not to be killed”: Nepal’s Deadly Crackdown on Protesters, police and security forces opened fire on largely peaceful demonstrators in Kathmandu on 8 September — killing at least 19 people and injuring more than 300 on that day alone.
Nationwide unrest over two days, followed by six days of clashes, raised the confirmed death toll to 76, with more than 2,000 injured.

Amnesty reports that officers used live ammunition, as well as rubber‑ and metal‑coated bullets, water cannons and tear gas — often deployed dangerously and indiscriminately, including near hospitals. Medical personnel described mass casualties, with many victims suffering gunshot wounds to the head, chest, and abdomen.

The organisation says the response violated Nepal’s obligations under international law and the right to peaceful assembly. It demands a transparent inquiry, fair trials for those responsible, and effective reparations for victims.

Amnesty’s director for Nepal, Nirajan Thapaliya, warned that without reforms — including in policing practices and laws on use of force — the conditions that enabled the violence will persist, endangering future assemblies and lives.