Over thirty editors and media personalities along with intellectuals and scholars from South Asia, UK, Australia and United States of have called for the release of Sajha Yatayat Chairman Kanak Mani Dixit, who was taken into custody by the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) for his alleged involvement in corruption.

"Dixit is a true professional, human rights defender and energetic journalist whose credentials are built on robust research and tremendous courage," said the editors and media personalities in a press statement released on Saturday.

The statement calls upon the Nepal Government to issue a transparent and unequivocal statement on Dixit’s detention.  The media personalities have condemned all forms of pressure tactics on editors like Dixit and Mahfuz Anan of the Daily Star in Dhaka, who has been facing over 80 cases of sedition and libel in Bangladesh.

‘We call upon all national and international media organisations, individual journalists and editors, defenders of media under pressure, on those who believe in the freedom of expression, to seek Kanak Dixit’s immediate release and a fair and transparent trial, free of bias,’ reads the further statement.