A top human rights body in Nepal has recommended criminal charges and a five-year political ban for former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, two of his cabinet colleagues, and senior security officials over a violent crackdown on youth-led anti-corruption demonstrations last year. The protests, which erupted in September 2025, resulted in at least 76 fatalities after security forces opened fire on Gen Z demonstrators in Kathmandu.
The National Human Rights Commission, a constitutional watchdog, submitted its findings and recommendations to the government on Wednesday. Lily Thapa, who headed the investigation, stated that the government now bears the responsibility to act and must report back within three months on the implementation of the proposed measures.
The commission directly blamed Oli, former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, and former Communications Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung for the street violence that occurred on September 8 and 9. It also called for departmental action against the current inspectors general of the Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force for overseeing the crackdown, which drew widespread international condemnation.
The NHRC’s report echoes a separate government-appointed commission that recommended criminal investigations against Oli and his allies in March. In a twist, the NHRC further recommended an inquiry into the chair of that earlier commission, Gauri Bahadur Karki, along with other former officials, for their alleged involvement in the unrest.
The investigation extended to figures on the other side of the protests. The commission recommended looking into 17 lawmakers from the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party, including its president, former Deputy Prime Minister Rabi Lamichhane. Lamichhane, who was detained on fraud charges at the time, escaped from prison during the chaos. The report accuses him and two other party lawmakers of using a violent mob to threaten a jail administrator to secure his release, actions it said fueled further violence.
The military also faced criticism. The NHRC issued a formal warning to the Nepali Army for failing to intervene and protect sensitive sites like the parliament and the president’s residence. Thapa noted that the army refused to cooperate with investigators, and its inaction constituted “a violation of cultural rights.”
Current Prime Minister Balendra Shah, who was Kathmandu’s mayor during the protests, was investigated but cleared of any wrongdoing. “Our focus is on identifying those who violated human rights. Since he was not found complicit, his name is not included,” Thapa said, adding that the decision was based on a thorough review of three specific allegations against him.
Neither Oli nor his party has publicly commented on the report.