Police arrested at least another four opposition members under state of emergency laws for protesting against Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen’s government, the opposition said yesterday.
The top court in the Maldives last week validated 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 after 10:30pm on Monday and continued to demand that Yameen implement a Supreme Court 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, said on Twitter 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 late on Monday.
Independent television Raajje TV, which showed footage of police forcibly blocking protesters, said Abdulla Ahmed was arrested while giving a media interview.
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 Council of the European Union on Monday threatened the Maldives with “targeted measures” if the crisis did not improve.
“The council condemns politically motivated arrests and calls for the immediate release of all political prisoners,” the EU said.
“The council also condemns any interference with the work of the Supreme Court of the Maldives and actions taken against the judiciary and the judges,” it said.
The Maldivian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement there was no legal mandate to implement the Supreme Court order, which included reinstating 12 lawmakers stripped of their seats by Yameen’s party for defecting last year.
“The government will ensure that the state of emergency is lifted as soon as the threats posed to national security are addressed satisfactorily,” the statement said.
Countries including the US, Canada and India, along with the UN, have urged Yameen to lift the emergency.
The government on Monday said in a statement it had to take difficult steps to safeguard the constitution and ensure that civil and political rights were protected.
The prosecutor general has said the extension of the state of emergency was unconstitutional because parliament did not have the required quorum when it voted last week.
However, the three-judge Supreme Court, which is functioning without a chief justice, said late on Monday the parliamentary vote on the extension was valid.
Yameen’s government retains a majority in parliament in the absence of the 12 lawmakers stripped of their seats.
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