More than 200 arrested for defying curfew

Kathmandu Jan 20-The government said police have taken into custody 214 people for defying the curfew orders imposed in the capital, Kathmandu, on Friday.

The Home Ministry said those arrested will be released after investigation.Home ministry Friday put the figure of people detained throughout day at 214.

Issuing a press release, the ministry said that they took them under custody under for defying curfew and prohibitory orders. Eighty eight people were arrested from Dharmashala at Gaushala.

The 88 people belong to seven-political parties, whom police arrested fearing demonstration by them. Police used force to detain them. Those detained have been kept in 12 ward police offices
As the ten-hour long curfew was lifted at 6:00 p. m. on Friday, people were seen rushing to their houses from offices and flocking to nearby grocery shops to buy essential household goods. Crowds had also gathered at major thoroughfares of the capital after the curfew was relaxed for three hours.Overnight curfew will again be imposed from 9:00 p. m. until 4:00 a. m. on Saturday.

Main while Three leading international rights groups Amnesty International (AI), Human Rights Watch (HRW), and the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) have said they are alarmed by the arrest of more than 100 political leaders and civil society activists in Nepal on Thursday, and have expressed fears that violence and human rights abuses could spiral out of control by orders reportedly given by the district administrations granting security forces permission to shoot anybody violating curfew at night.

The international organizations called on the royal government to free all the detainees immediately, and to exercise restraint and abide by its international human rights obligations as the country approaches the 8 February deadline set by the government for holding controversial local elections. Nearly all of Nepal's political parties have opposed holding the elections on the grounds that local conditions do not permit free and fair elections, the statement said.