Canadian to leave Nepal after work visa revoked over social media posts

A Canadian national whose work visa was revoked by the Nepal government over his social media posts will leave the country on Thursday night after the Supreme Court failed to hear his petition challenging the move.

Updated on: May 5, 2016, 19:37:01 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

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A Canadian national whose work visa was revoked by the Nepal government over his social media posts will leave the country on Thursday night after the Supreme Court failed to hear his petition challenging the move.

Though Nepal’s new Constitution assures freedom of speech and expression, the authorities decided to revoke Penner’s visa as they felt his social media posts could affect “national unity”. (Shutterstock)

The government revoked Robert Penner’s visa on Tuesday and asked him to leave within two days after a complaint was filed with the department of immigration regarding his posts on social media related to issues in Nepal.

Penner filed a petition challenging the move in Supreme Court, which was unable to take up the case on Thursday.

“The Supreme Court had other urgent cases today and was unable to hear mine. I must leave Nepal tonight,” the software solutions provider tweeted.

Though Nepal’s new Constitution assures freedom of speech and expression, the authorities decided to revoke Penner’s visa as they felt his social media posts could affect “national unity”.

Penner posted comments that were critical of the new Constitution and the government’s handling of protests against it in Madhes that resulted in more than 50 deaths. He also questioned the recent arrest of journalist Kanak Mani Dixit on corruption charges.

The Canadian’s lawyer Dipendra Jha tweeted the Supreme Court would hear the petition on Friday and hoped it would rule in Penner’s favour, allowing him to return to Nepal.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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