The Hindu : International : Nepal frees 18 political detenus

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Friday, May 27, 2005

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International

Nepal frees 18 political detenus

Seven-party alliance plans Kathmandu meeting to press for civil liberties

KATHMANDU: Nepal's royal Government on Thursday released 18 political prisoners, including Nepali Congress general secretary Shushil Koirala and former Parliament member of Nepali Congress Basudev Bhatta, who had been detained since the February 1 power grab by King Gyanendra. Eight persons including Mr. Koirala were released from prison in Banke district, according to Home Ministry spokesman Gopendra Bahadur Pandey.

Five political prisoners were released from Dadeldhura district, four from Saptari district and one from Kanchanpur district, Mr. Pandey said. The release came a day ahead of a protest meeting of the seven-party alliance scheduled to take place on Friday in the capital.

Languishing in jails

Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala and other prominent political leaders will address the public meeting to be held at Nayabaneshwor in Kathmandu as part of the seven-party agitation aimed at restoring democracy and civil liberties. Former Deputy Prime Minister and Nepali Congress leader Ramchandra Poudyal and hundreds of other political detenus are still languishing in different jails across the country. The Government last month extended their detention order by another three months despite their deteriorating health conditions.

Hundreds held

Hundreds of people were arrested after King Gyanendra sacked the elected Government, seized control of the country and imposed a state of emergency on February 1. The King ordered the arrest of hundreds of politicians and activists in the weeks that followed. Although many of the political detenus were released after the emergency was lifted last month, several key politicians remain in jail. The constitutional monarch has come under increasing international pressure to release them as a first step toward restoring democracy in this Himalayan kingdom. The United States has repeatedly asked Nepal's Government to reconcile with political parties. Fighting between communist rebels and Nepalese troops has claimed more than 11,500 lives. The rebels, who claim to be inspired by Chinese revolutionary Mao Zedong, have fought since 1996 to replace Nepal's constitutional monarchy with a communist state. — AP

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