KATHMANDU: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), led by Tapa Bahadur Magar, has released a comprehensive investigation report indicting former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, then-Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, and then-Communications Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung as human rights violators.

The commission held the political leadership directly responsible for the crisis, citing their decision to ban social media during the Gen Z protests on September 8 and 9, 2025, as the primary catalyst for the subsequent violent escalation.

Because current laws lack explicit provisions to penalize political leaders for such overreaches, the NHRC has submitted a strict 7-point special recommendation urging the government to enact a new legal framework, drawing upon international human rights principles and the Supreme Court precedent set in advocate Madhav Basnet vs. Government of Nepal.

Under the proposed legislation, individuals found guilty would face up to six months in prison, a fine of up to Rs 300,000, or both, with cases adjudicated by a Special Court.

Furthermore, convicted individuals would face a minimum five-year ban from contesting elections or receiving political appointments, alongside a three-year restriction on holding administrative duties and traveling abroad.

The commission’s framework also demands that public officials be automatically suspended from office immediately upon a case being filed, while strictly ruling out any possibility of amnesty or pardons for grave human rights violations, though lenient provisions like public apologies and compensation could be negotiated for minor infractions with the mutual consent of the victim and the court.

In tandem with the political sanctions, the NHRC has directed the government to initiate swift departmental action against high-ranking security and administrative officials involved in the crackdown.

The government has been ordered to execute these departmental actions promptly and formally report the progress and outcomes back to the commission.