The Nepal Teachers’ Association (NTA) has demanded that the government release all those arrested from protest rallies immediately and unconditionally.

A joint release issued by the association’s district units in Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur said the detention was illegal. The NTA also condemned the government’s decision to release a few members and keep others in detention.

The association said it would launch fresh agitation if the detainees were not released soon.

Dozens of professors, schoolteachers, human rights activists including the president of the NTA, Keshav Bhattarai, were arrested from rallies organised by the Professional Alliance for Peace and Democracy (PAPAD) ahead of the municipal polls, demanding restoration of democracy.