On 6 October 2020, Advocacy Forum- Nepal organized a community level meeting on the Transitional Justice (TJ) with conflict victims in Baglung District. In the program, the latest development on the situation of TJ was discussed along with the hardships that the conflict victims have undergone at present due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The victims shared their plight of being sidelined and completely ignored by the Government, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking in the program, Hari Subedi, one of the participants from the victims’ group informed that they have approached the local Government for assistance but they have not received any assistance so far. Saraswati BK stated, “Who will search for our loved ones, if we die”.

Advocacy Forum- Nepal organized a community level meeting on Transitional Justice (TJ) in Bhurigau, Bardiya District on 3 October 2020. The program held a discussion on the existing situation of TJ in Nepal and the roles and responsibilities of the Local Government. Speaking in the program, Devisara Oli, one of the participants from the victims’ group stressed that the Local Government should firstly collect the exact number of conflict victims and then should introduce income-generating trainings and reparations programs as per the need and demands of the victims. She further stressed that the Government should provide social security fund to the wives of those whose husbands were subjected to enforced disappearance or killed. A torture survivor, Maya Ram Khadka stated that the Federal, Provincial and Local Governments have not paid much attention to the demands and concerns of the victims.

As the COVID-19 cases, along with skin related problems increased among the children at Jayandu Child Correction Home in Asamanpur, Duduwa-6, Banke, on 23 September 2020, Advocacy Forum- Nepal, Nepalgunj handed over medical and daily use goods worth NPR 115,000 to the Correction Home. The goods included medical masks, sanitizers, Dettol soaps along with other important medical goods such as hot and cold water dispensers, bed sheets, towels, pillow covers, water bottles, water pipes, water jar and carom board for entertainment. Representatives of District Administrative Office, Banke, Deputy Chief District Officer Dirgha Raj Upadhyaya, In-charge of the Child Correction Home Bimala Kaucha Magar, Jay Kesh Singh who donated the land to the Correction Home, Medical Supplier Association’s Chief Secretary Jivan Sharma, Warden Malakhey Singh, Police Head Constable Suresh Bahadur Shahi were present in the program.

Taking the on-going pandemic situation caused by COVID-19 into consideration, on 17 September 2020, Advocacy Forum Nepal- Far Western Province Mahendra Nagar Kanchanpur handed over materials related to COVID- 19 response such as towels, soaps, sanitizers, masks, bags, 5 electric kettles,4 water filters, thermos flasks and bottles to the Child Correction Home in Doti district to prevent them from being infected by COVID-19. Along with the 37 children, the program was attended by Administrative Head of the Correction Home, Sanumaya Limbu Gurung, the chairman of ward no. 6 of the Dipayal Silgadhi Municipality, Santosh Bohara, Sub Inspector Lal Singh Rawal along with two police constables ad 6 police officials.

On the occasion of 41st Social Service Day, Advocacy Forum –Nepal (AF) provided materials related to COVID-19 response aiming to support in controlling the spread of Corona Virus in the Central Child Correction Home, Bhaktapur on 25 September 2020. In a small function organized in the premises of Under Privileged Children's Education Programme (UCEP) - Nepal, AF handed over sanitizers, sanitizer dispensers, masks, gloves, hand wash, soaps and soap case, personal protective equipment (PPE), face shield, water bottles etc. for the children kept in the Correction Home. To minimize the risk of outbreak of the virus, the support materials were handed over to the management team of UCEP Nepal in the presence of representatives of the local government and Board members of UCEP Nepal.

On 22 September 2020, Kathmandu: Advocacy Forum-Nepal and Terai Human Rights Defender Alliance (THRD Alliance) jointly submitted a memorandum to Honorable Krishna Bhakta Pokharel, Chairperson of Law, Justice, Human Rights Committee of the House of Representatives with a view to bringing the attention of a newly formed Sub-Committee (a five-member committee formed under the leadership of Former Law Minister Sher Bahadur Tamang) on to study and investigate the custodial deaths in Nepal. Recently, the deaths in the custody are on rising and state authority has failed to hold those responsible accountable. 

9 September 2020: After multiple attempts, the District Attorney Office, Gaur Rautahat registered the FIR against 6 Police Personnel for their involvement in alleged torture and death of Bijaya Mahara, a 19-year-old Dalit boy from Garuda Rautahat. District Police Office (DPO) Rautahat refused to register the FIR on 8 September 2020, for the second time in a  row. Bijay Mahara was arrested on 15 August 2020, as a suspect in the murder of Niranjan Ram, a 17-year-old boy working in a local nursery. Following the refusal from the DPO to register the FIR, the victim’s father, Panilal Mahara moved to the District Attorney’s Office, requesting to order the DPO to register the FIR and initiate the investigation. The FIR has been filed against 6 police Personnel, including the Superintendent of Police (SP) Rabiraj Khadka and In-charge  and the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Gyan Kumar Mahato including others.

2 September 2020: As the whole country is confronting with the crisis caused by COVID-19 pandemic, the child correction home in Banke is likely to turn into hotspots of the COVID-19 outbreak due to overcrowding and insufficient amenities that are essential for decent living. The total holding capacity of the facility is 70 but the correction home is housing 109 children at the moment. Children are compelled to cram into available space, making the spread of Covid-19 inevitable.

28 August, Kathmandu: Following the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in various major cities of Rupandehi, including Butwal Sub-Metropolitan City and Siddhartha Municipality, there is a rise in the number of detainees being infected as well. As per Rupandehi Department of Health Service, the total tally of the cases of COVID-19 has reached to 760 in Rupandehi while 346 infected have already recovered and the death toll stands at 6 till 27 August 2020.

Kathmandu, 28 August 2020: After receiving the public grievances regarding the denial of  treatment of a pregnant woman infected with Covid-19 by provincial as well as other hospitals in Province 5, a team of more than 12 women human rights defenders from Rupandehi, led by advocate Indira Acharya of Advocacy Forum-Nepal submitted a memorandum to the Social Development Minister, Sudarshan Baral on 20 August 2020. Stating that lack of attention from the Provincial Government regarding emergency services including delivery service for pregnant women, is indeed disgraceful to all women. The team urged Minister Baral to arrange such services within 24 hours. Accepting the Memorandum, Minister Baral stated that it is not possible to arrange the services within 24 hours as the pregnant woman infected with Covid-19 may need to undergo surgery which as per the Protocol related to Covid-19 requires higher level services and such services can be mandated by the Central Government only. He further clarified that Provincial Government requires permission from the Central Government to resume such services, making it time-consuming at present. However, he assured that the Provincial Government is serious about this issue and will regulate the services to avoid any immediate problems regarding the treatment.