Maldives Supreme Court rescinds ruling after arrest of judges

The Maldives’ Supreme Court has reversed a ruling to release nine indicted opposition politicians shortly after the arrest of the court’s own chief justice and another judge.

The remaining three judges of the court issued a statement Tuesday night nullifying their earlier decision to free the prisoners “in light of the concerns raised by the president,” referring to President Abdulla Yameen, who has declared a state of emergency in the country.

Yameen declared the emergency on Monday to probe the Supreme Court ruling, which he described as a “coup.”

PressTV-Maldives declares state of emergency, nabs top judge

President Yameen declares a state of emergency, and security forces arrest a top Supreme Court judge as the political crisis deepens in the country.

After ordering on Monday the arrest of Chief Justice Abdullah Saeed and another judge, identified as Ali Hammed, Yameen delivered a televised address on Tuesday, saying he had been “forced into this situation.”

“I declared the state of emergency because there was no way to hold these justices accountable,” he said.

There are suspicions that the Supreme Court judges have been bribed by wealthy opposition figures to rule against President Yameen — something he kept referring to during his televised remarks on Tuesday.

Security forces stand guard outside the Supreme Court in Male, on February 5, 2018, after Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency. (Photo by AFP)

The now-revoked ruling by the high court further declared that 12 lawmakers stripped of their seats had to be reinstated, a move that would have restored the opposition’s parliamentary majority.

Among those whose convictions in 2015 were nullified was former president Mohamed Nasheed, who was granted political asylum in the UK in 2016 after being allowed to travel there for medical treatment while serving a prison term.

Nasheed became the first democratically-elected president of the Maldives in 2008. He was forced to stand down following an army rebellion four years later and was tried under anti-terror laws in 2015. He is now in exile in Sri Lanka, and has been offered asylum in Britain. He has specifically called for intervention by the US and India in the recent political crackdown.

Speculation has now emerged that the newer decision by the Supreme Court — to rescind its own ruling — has been made under pressure.

Yameen himself is widely suspected of having pocketed millions of dollars from secret deals in which the Maldives sold islands to foreign companies, a move that would one day turn the coral specks into luxury tourist resorts.

The Maldives is already among the most exclusive and expensive vacation spots in the world, with many resorts charging upward of $2,000 per night.

This file photo shows an aerial view of the island of Male, the capital of the Maldives. (By AFP)

What complicates the developments in the tiny island nation is that the Supreme Court and several of the opposition figures are suspected of graft as well.

The country’s long-term ex-president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who has allied himself with the opposition, was also detained at his home after the declaration of the state of emergency. He happens to be Yameen’s half-brother.

Indian military on standby

Meanwhile, Indian armed forces have been ordered to go on standby for any contingency in the Maldives, according to a Wednesday report by The Times of India.

The report said there was no political directive yet to swing into action immediately.

It cites “sources” as saying on Tuesday that the armed forces were “prepared for any eventuality” and “deployment at short notice.”