A day after Maldives Supreme Court passed an order to release all political prisoners, India said it is closely monitoring the evolving situation. The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday called the Maldives Government to respect the order and sought safety and security of the Indian expatriates in the country after clashes were reported between local police and Opposition members following the order.
Exiled former President Mohamed Nasheed and eight other Opposition leaders in Maldives will have be freed by the Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom Government after the apex court order. Nasheed had been sentenced to 13 years in prison on terrorism charges. However, the Supreme Court has also ordered fresh trials citing the “questionable and politically motivated nature” of the trials of the political leaders.
The ruling may allow Nasheed to challenge Yameen in the Presidential election this year. In a dramatic turn of situation in 2013, Nasheed , Maldives’ first democratically elected president, took refuge in the Indian embassy in Male after an arrest warrant was issued against him for failure to appear in a local court after the police came with an arrest warrant issued against him for failure to appear in a local court. He has currently taken political asylum in the United Kingdom in 2016. The Opposition alliance in a statement welcomed the ruling and called for President Yameen’s resignation, saying the court’s decision effectively ends his authoritarian rule.
“We have seen last night’s order of the Supreme Court of Maldives releasing all political prisoners. In the spirit of democracy and rule of law, it is imperative for all organs of the Government of Maldives to respect and abide by the order of the apex court. We also hope that the safety and security of the Indian expatriates in Maldives will be ensured by the Maldivian authorities under all circumstances. As a close and friendly neighbour, India wishes to see a stable, peaceful and prosperous Maldives. We are closely monitoring the evolving situation,” MEA said in a statement.
“Thank you India @narendramodi for your most helpful statement welcoming the Supreme Court decision and calling on our authorities to comply with it in the spirit of democracy, good governance & rule of law,” Tweeted Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, former President of Maldives and chief of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).
Tweeting on the development, former President Nasheed said: “Welcome tonight’s SC ruling calling for the immediate release of political prisoners and the restoration of their civil and political rights. President Yameen must abide by this ruling and resign. Urge all citizens to avoid confrontation and engage in peaceful political activity.”