The attacks on Himalmedia in the past weeks has shocked the media and civil society. The arson attack on Himal's latest issue represents a direct threat to press freedom and the citizen's right to information. The attackers have also challenged the state's security apparatus. For the past two and half years, Nepal Samacharpatra and other newspapers have been the target of attacks. The Editor's Alliance, set up to defend press freedom, has been condemning these attacks in the strongest terms. The state must assure its citizens and the press that it is capable of ensuring security, and investigate the attack on Himalmedia.