Nepal’s journalist organisation yesterday condemned the arrest of a reporter whom it said was taking photographs of a protest outside government offices in Kathmandu.
Police arrested Shesh Narayan Jha on Monday together with a protester who splashed red paint on the walls of the Singha Durbar government complex.
“It is a serious violation of press freedom and freedom of expression to arrest a journalist as he takes pictures and charge him with public offence,” Ujir Magar, general secretary of the Federation of Nepali Journalists, said in a statement.
“The federation condemns this incident and demands Jha’s immediate release.”
The protester, 21-year-old Ishan who goes by one name, was demanding an investigation into the use of excessive force by security officials during demonstrations in recent months against Nepal’s new constitution that saw more than 50
people killed.
He is also calling for an independent committee to initiate talks between the government and anti-charter protesters, who say the constitution adopted last September leaves them
politically marginalised.
Prazit KC of the city police said that Jha was arrested for his alleged involvement in the
protest and not for taking  
photographs.
“When Jha was caught he was not taking pictures and did not carry a camera. He did not say he was a journalist, otherwise we would have released him,” he said.
“We are investigating how he is involved.”
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a petition against the arrests today.
It comes amid fears that freedom of expression may be under threat in the Himalayan nation.
Last week a British tourist was arrested for allegedly joining a protest against the constitution. He was later released.
Earlier this month Canadian software developer Robert Penner was ordered to leave Nepal over tweets deemed to “incite conflict”.
The constitution, the first drawn up by elected representatives, was meant to cement peace and bolster Nepal’s transformation to a democratic republic after decades of political instability and a 10-year Maoist insurgency which ended in 2006.
But several rounds of talks between the government and the protesting parties have failed to secure agreement.