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India expresses concern over Maldives emergency; Nasheed seeks military help

Hours after exiled Maldivian ex-president Mohamed Nasheed appealed India to intervene militarily to restore constitutional authority in Maldives, New Delhi…

India expresses concern over Maldives emergency; Nasheed seeks military help

Maldives Emergency (Photo: AFP PHOTO/Mihaaru/STR)

Hours after exiled Maldivian ex-president Mohamed Nasheed appealed India to intervene militarily to restore constitutional authority in Maldives, New Delhi issued a statement saying that India is “disturbed” by the developments in the island nation.

“We are disturbed by the declaration of a State of Emergency in the Maldives following the refusal of the Government to abide by the unanimous ruling of the full bench of the Supreme Court on 1 February, and also by the suspension of Constitutional rights of the people of Maldives,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

“The arrest of the Supreme Court Chief Justice and political figures are also reasons for concern. Government continues to carefully monitor the situation,” the statement said.

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Emergency in Maldives
This handout image received from the Mihaaru newspaper on February 5, 2018 shows opposition supporters outside the Supreme Court in Male after Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency. (Photo: AFP PHOTO/Mihaaru/Handout)

 

Nasheed, who resides in the UK, issued a statement on Tuesday, 6 February, requesting military intervention from India.

“We would like the Indian government to send an envoy, backed by its military, to free the judges and the political detainees, including former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, from their detention and to bring them to their homes. We are asking for a physical presence,” his statement read.

He also took to Twitter to request India and the United States to take action against President Abdulla Yameen. He urged Washington to stop all financial transactions of Maldives regime leaders going through the US banks.

The unrest in Maldives was triggered after Yameen refused to comply with the Supreme Court’s order to release top opposition political leaders including Nasheed and former vice president Ahmed Adeeb.

On Monday night, Yameen declared a state of emergency for 15 days and suspended Constitutional rights of citizens. The Parliament was therefore suspended.

By Tuesday morning, Maldivian police had arrested Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and Justice Ali Hameed from the Supreme Court following a seven-hour siege of the premises.

Photos and videos show the Army and the police scaling the Supreme Court building and holding staff and judges under military supervision.

According to reports, the judges have been taken to an undisclosed location outside the capital, Male.

Nasheed, 50, is the country’s first democratically-elected leader. He was sentenced to 13 years in jail on terror charges in March 2015 over the arbitrary arrest of chief criminal judge Abdullah Muhammed during his presidency.

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