Nepal Panel Holds Former PM Oli Accountable for Gen Z Protest Fatalities

A Nepali investigation panel has recommended that former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli be prosecuted for negligence for failing to prevent dozens of deaths during anti-corruption protests in September last year, Reuters reported on March 26, 2026.

The report was released late March 25 night, just two days before rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah is scheduled to be sworn in as the new prime minister.

Shah won a landslide victory in the parliamentary elections that followed the demonstrations.

The panel held the 74-year-old Oli responsible for failing to stop hours of firing that killed at least 19 Gen Z protesters on the first day of the unrest, which ultimately led to his resignation.

The Gen Z protests were initially triggered by a government ban on 26 social media platforms in early September 2025, which was widely perceived as an attempt to suppress political dissent and digital expression, Britannica reported.

This immediate spark ignited years of simmering frustration among Nepal’s youth over systemic corruption, high unemployment, and the perceived nepotism of the country’s political elite.

According to the panel, a total of 76 people were killed and 2,522 were wounded during two days of unrest. The report states that as the executive head of the government, Oli should be held responsible for the actions taken by the state.

The panel also recommended the prosecution of former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak and former police chief Chandra Kuber Khapung for their roles in the crackdown, according to Reuters.

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Oli has rejected the findings as unacceptable, describing the report as character assassination and hate politics in a statement to the Annapurna Post. While the panel suggests those responsible could face up to 10 years in jail if found guilty, legal experts told Reuters that a formal criminal investigation by the police must be conducted before any charges are filed in court.

The decision to move forward with these legal recommendations now falls to the incoming administration of Balendra Shah and his Rastriya Swatantra Party.

Comparable concerns have also been reported outside the country, particularly involving Nepali recruits in Russia’s war against Ukraine. Nepalese mercenaries from unit 29328 have previously deserted from the Russian army after facing massive losses in meat assaults and brutal treatment by Russian commanders, including extrajudicial executions. While Russian leadership has attempted to justify these disappearances by citing an earthquake in Nepal, the intelligence reports indicate a total breakdown in command and non-payment of wages.

This situation underscores the same pattern of governmental failure and negligence regarding youth protection that is now at the heart of the prosecution recommendations for former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli.

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