Maldives crisis: Supreme Court revokes order to free political prisoners

Yameen on Sunday refused to accept the Supreme Court order to release political prisoners and reinstate 12 MPs who defected to the opposition.

A day after the declaration of emergency by President Abdulla Yameen and arrest of two top judges, Maldives' Supreme Court on Tuesday revoked an order to release nine high-profile political prisoners.

In a late night development, the remaining three judges of the Supreme Court amended an order to release nine high-profile political prisoners.

In a statement, the judges said they were revoking the order to release the prisoners "in light of the concerns raised by the President".

The crisis in Maldives has deepened with the Chief Justice being arrested. The former president of Maldives, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed, Supreme Court Justice Ali Hameed and Judicial administrator Hassan Saeed have been arrested, just hours after President Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency in the country.

Yameen on Sunday refused to accept the Supreme Court order to release political prisoners and reinstate 12 MPs who defected to the opposition.

The army was on Sunday put on high alert after Yameen refused to accept SC's order. The Supreme Court order to restore the seats of 12 MPs who defected to the opposition would effectively reduce Yameen's party to a minority and expose him to the risk of impeachment.

OneIndia News with PTI inputs