Male: The Maldives police under the emergency laws arrested another four opposition members for protesting against the President Abdulla Yameen’s government. The top court in the Maldives validated last week a 30-day extension of the state of emergency, which was sought by Yameen over what he has called a national security threat and constitutional crisis.
Opposition politicians defied a police order to stop protesting and continued to demand that Yameen implement a SC ruling that quashed convictions against nine opposition leaders and ordered the release of politicians and officials held in prison.
The Maldivian Democratic Party, the main opposition party, tweeted that police had arrested Mohamed Ameeth and Abdulla Ahmed, two lawmakers who had defected from Yameen’s party, and two more from other opposition parties.
According to TV footage, Abdulla Ahmed was arrested while giving an interview about the protest. Yameen’s government has so far ignored international calls to lift the state of emergency, first declared on Feb 5 for 15 days, and release opposition leaders from jail.
The Maldives foreign ministry said there was no legal mandate to implement the SC order, which also included reinstating 12 lawmakers stripped of their parliamentary seats by Yameen’s party for defecting last year.
Maldives deports llawyers
Meanwhile, Maldives detained and deported a group of international lawyers who travelled to the troubled islands to study the impact of emergency rule. Law Asia, a regional lawyers’ association, said it had sent four members in response to an open invitation the government issued two days after President Abdulla Yameen imposed a state of emergency. That followed a Supreme Court order, later rescinded, to release political prisoners and reinstate sacked lawmakers - a move that would have cost Yameen his majority in parliament.
The president has overseen a major crackdown on dissent in recent years, jailing a series of prominent critics, including the opposition leader and sacking MPs who defected from the ruling party. Earlier this month Yameen sacked the chief justice and another senior judge before imposing emergency rule, sparking international condemnation.
The crisis has hit the image of the Maldives as a peaceful holiday paradise, although it has had little impact on life away from the capital in the upmarket resort islands popular with honeymooners. The four lawyers were detained when they arrived at Male international airport, where they were held and subsequently deported. “By such action, the government of Maldives deprived itself of the benefit of an independent and impartial assessment by a fact-finding team not sponsored by any individuals, parties or organisations in the Maldives, Law Asia said.
The government had invited international organisations to send representatives to "assess the situation in the Maldives and witness the safety and security of Male" under emergency rule.
Law Asia said they had been trying for more than two weeks to arrange special visas before deciding to send the delegation after informing the immigration authorities.
Separately, Yameen’s niece Dunya Maumoon resigned late on Tuesday as health minister. She had been under pressure to resign since Yameen ordered the arrest of her father, ex-president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. The 80-yearold leader was arrested on a charge of trying to topple the government hours after the emergency was declared.
