Nepal, June 12 -- Galvanised by news reports and social media posts about the arrest of comedian Pranesh Gautam for a film review, dozens of people took to the streets of Kathmandu on Wednesday to express outrage over the increasing threat to freedom of expression in the country.

Protestors walked from Pulchowk to Maitighar Mandala, with their mouths taped, carrying placards demanding the release of Gautam, who has been in police custody since Friday. Gautam was taken into custody under the Electronic Transaction Act after filmmaker Milan Chams filed a police complaint last month for a video on Meme Nepal, a popular Facebook page, reviewing Chams' recent film, Bir Bikram 2.

By late afternoon on Wednesday, #FreePraneshGautam was trending...