Nepal's government says it has detained 43 people, top political leaders and other activists, for their "own personal safety" as well as to maintain law and order.
A Home Ministry statement Wednesday says 25 of the detainees are being held in government centers and the rest, under house arrest.
Tuesday, nine United Nations human rights investigators called on Nepal's King Gyanendra to restore democracy in the country.
The King dissolved the constitutional government, seized power, and declared a nationwide state of emergency on February first.
The monarch and his hand-picked government curtailed most civil rights, including criticism of security forces, and banned protest rallies.
Nepal's human rights groups say they plan to defy the ban by holding a protest demonstration on Thursday.
Some information for this report provided by Reuters, AP.
