5 August, 2021: Understanding the importance of legal education in bringing reforms in children, on 3 August 2021, Advocacy Forum-Nepal organized a legal education program at Child Correction Home of Aasmanpur, Banke. The program was organized for 144 children of the Correction Home, in 3 shifts, taking the present context of COVID-19 into consideration. AF lawyer Basanta Gautam mentored the children on various legal issues such as national and international legal provisions related to child rights, crime and criminal liability, juvenile delinquencies, juvenile justice and procedures and so on. The program followed the interactive and discussion model, with information presented through power point presentations. 

17 July 2021, Banke: Advocacy Forum-Nepal in collaboration with Transitional Justice Network-Banke, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), and others convened an interaction program on the occasion of the International Criminal Justice Day. The day is celebrated to mark the anniversary of the historic adoption of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 1998. Judge from the Tulsipur High Court (Nepalgunj Bench), Chief of Police Administration (Banke), Public Prosecutors, Defence Lawyers, Conflict Victims, Representatives from various human rights organizations, and media persons participated in the program. Altogether 57 attended the program. 

17 July 2021, Dhanusha: On the occasion of the International Criminal Justice Day, Advocacy Forum-Nepal and other human rights organizations jointly submitted a Memorandum to the Honorable Prime Minister through District Administration Office, Dhanusha urging Nepal Government to ratify the International Criminal Court’s founding treaty i.e. the Rome Statute. 

4 July Nepalgunj, Banke: On 4 July 2021, Advocacy Forum-Nepal, represented by AF Lawyer Basanta Gautam conducted a sectorial meeting with newly appointed Superintendent of Police, the chief of District Police Office, Banke, Shyam Krishna Adhikari, accompanied by Deputy Superintendent of Police Madhusudan Neupane. The meeting focused on effective implementation of criminal justice system, juvenile justice, prison management, and protection of basic human rights of detainees and human rights and rule of law in the district. 

29 June, 2021: Responding to the writ petition filed by Advocacy Forum-Nepal together with other human rights organizations and advocates, the Joint-Bench of Justices Tek Prasad Dhungana and Gokarna Dangi of Tulsipur High Court-Nepalgunj Bench on 28 June 2021 issued an order of Mandamus against the defendants Bheri Hospital, District Administration Office, Banke, District Crisis Management Committee etc. Considering the gravity and urgency of the subject matter of the writ, the Court had ordered for priority hearing which took place on 28 June 2021 through a virtual platform.

On the occasion of the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture (26 June), victims' groups and associations and national and international human rights organizations call upon the Government of Nepal to immediately establish an independent mechanism to effectively investigate and prosecute all acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. International human rights treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT), to which Nepal is a party, oblige Nepal to investigate, prosecute, punish and provide effective remedies and reparations to victims of torture and other acts of ill-treatment. However, Nepal has failed to comply with these obligations.

25 June 2021, Kathmandu: On the Occasion of the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture (26 June), Advocacy Forum-Nepal (AF) launches its Annual Torture Report (2021) entitled “Countering Impunity in Torture: Need for Independent Investigative Mechanism in Nepal.” For the past twenty years, AF has been reporting the incidents of torture and ill-treatment of detainees in police custody, and to date, the torture and ill-treatment continue to occur in Nepal. In addition, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has served to perpetuate the culture of police impunity in Nepal. Through this report, AF reminds the concerned authorities of the urgent need for the establishment of an independent investigative mechanism to investigate and prosecute cases of torture and ill-treatment.

7 June 2021, Kathmandu: Since the day 17-year old Krishna Prasad Adhikari was brutally murdered by Maoist cadres on (24 Jestha 2061) 6 June 2004 in Bakulahar Chowk of Tandi, Chitwan, Ganga Maya Adhikari has been continuously fighting for truth and justice. Ganga Maya along with her husband Nanda Prasad Adhikari started a hunger strike as a part of Satyagraha on 5 February 2012, demanding no amnesty to those who were involved in the murder of their son. The Government turned blind eye to their demands of justice and on 22 September 2014, Nanda Prasad Adhikari passed away, leaving Gangamaya all alone in her journey to justice. Gangamaya’s resilience to seek justice has not shaken yet.

1 June 2021, Nepalgunj: Demanding immediate enactment of necessary laws for security so as to boost the morale of health workers, the health workers, including doctors and nurses of Bheri Hospital, Nepalgunj, have continued to protest against the attack every day from 9 to 10 am near the eastern main gate of Bheri Hospital. They gathered there with black bands on their hands and carrying play cards demanding security and justice.

28 May 2021, Kathmandu: Recently, the unprecedented surge in COVID-19 cases is pushing already traumatized armed conflict victims into an extremely vulnerable situation, both mentally and physically. Although conflict victims are determined in their persistent fight for truth and justice, they face multi-layer of hardships. The extended prohibitory orders combined with lack of support from the government have brought a serious psychological impact on the overall well-being of the conflict victims. With an aim to ease their pain and sufferings, Advocacy Forum-Nepal convened a counseling session entitled “COVID-19 and its Psychological Impact on Conflict Victims” on 28 May 2021. The session was facilitated by a senior psychologist, Karuna Kunwar. Mr. Bikash Basnet (Program Manager-AF) hosted the event.