[JURIST] Police in Nepal [JURIST news archive] Friday arrested 87 journalists protesting restrictions placed on the media since King Gyanendra [BBC profile] seized power [JURIST report] in February. Police also arrested 200 other protestors at a pro-democracy demonstration in Kathmandu attended by thousands. Protests have continued [JURIST report] throughout the country since King Gyanendra lifted a state of emergency but left heavy restrictions on the media and retained absolute power. Journalists gathered at a Kathmandu park Friday to protest the restrictions and a previous spate of arrests of journalists, six of whom reportedly remain in detention. The journalists taken into custody Friday were reportedly released [Kantipur Online report] hours after being detained. Gyanendra has maintained that the strict measures are necessary to battle a Maoist rebellion that has troubled the country since 1996 and to fight corruption. Kantipur Online has local coverage of events in Nepal. AP has more.

Previously in JURIST's Paper Chase...

• Nepali democracy protests continue despite mass arrests
• Nepal detains 250 democracy marchers as high court hears anti-corruption challenge
• Nepal ministers arrested on corruption charges