As political crisis deepens in the Maldives, President Abdulla Yameen on Tuesday stated that the emergency decree is to investigate the plot and coup behind the Supreme Court ruling, news agency AP reported. The crisis had worsened Monday when President Yameen declared a state of emergency and, within hours of the emergency declaration, two top judges, Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and another judge, Ali Hameed, were arrested.

Earlier on Tuesday, exiled former President Mohamed Nasheed sought for India’s diplomatic and military intervention to resolve the ongoing issue. Nasheed, the president of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), which functions from Colombo, appealed for help from India. A statement issued by the party in Colombo said, “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.”

Violence erupted in the capital, Male, after President Abdulla Yameen defied Supreme Court orders to release nine imprisoned opposition politicians, ruling that their trials were politically motivated and flawed.

Stating the martial law as illegal, Nasheed was quoted by PTI as saying: “President Yameen’s announcement — which declares a state of emergency, the banning of fundamental freedoms, and the suspension of the Supreme Court — is tantamount to a declaration of martial law in the Maldives. This declaration is unconstitutional and illegal. Nobody in the Maldives is required to, nor should, follow this unlawful order.”

Urging the US to stop all transactions of the Yameen regime’s leaders, the exiled leader added, “We must remove him from power. The people of the Maldives have a legitimate request to world governments, especially to India and the United States.”

Expressing concerns over Yameen’s delay in implementing the Supreme Court ruling to immediately release political prisoners, Nasheed had earlier said, “This deliberate refusal by the government to uphold the Constitution further destabilises the Maldives and wider Indian Ocean security.”

Meanwhile, the US on Tuesday commenting on the ongoing political chaos in the island nation said that it was ‘troubled and disappointed’ and has asked President Yameen to implement the Supreme Court ruling. A report in PTI quoted State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert saying, “The US is troubled and disappointed by reports that Maldivian President Yameen has declared a state of emergency.”

For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App</s>Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Trouble in paradise: Maldives crisis explained

The exiled ex-president of the Maldives has called for other countries to intervene in a political crisis engulfing the island nation.

Mohamed Nasheed asked India to help release prisoners and the US to curb leaders' financial transactions.

Turmoil began when current President Abdulla Yameen refused to release political dissidents, defying a court order and sparking protests.

On Tuesday night, the Supreme Court revoked its move to free the prisoners.

Two of its top judges had already been arrested. The remaining three have now issued a statement, saying the order was being rescinded "in light of the concerns raised by the president", according to AFP news agency.

The government has declared a state of emergency, while the opposition has called the arrest of the two judges a "purge".

There has also been international condemnation of the government's moves, with the US expressing concern.

President Yameen gave a televised address to the country on Tuesday, saying judges had been plotting a coup.

"I had to declare a national emergency because there was no other way to investigate these judges," he said.

The Indian Ocean island nation is made up of 26 coral atolls and 1,192 islands, and tourism is a vital part of its economy.

Regional power play

By Olivia Lang, BBC News

Under President Yameen, China has increased its influence in the Maldives as part of its "string of pearls" strategy in the Indian Ocean.

India - which has traditionally viewed itself as the island nation's "big brother" - is not happy.

Delhi is now very much aligned with former President Mohamed Nasheed, who is in exile in Sri Lanka.

Mr Nasheed told me he wanted an Indian official "with enough clout" to go to the Maldives, "backed by the military". But he refused to be drawn on what exactly this meant.

While India is unlikely to take military action, it would not look unfavourably at any move to dislodge Mr Yameen from power.

What did the ex-president say?

Mr Nasheed called on India to put pressure on the Maldives government to release opposition detainees.

He also asked the US to restrict Maldivian leaders' transactions through US banks.

In a statement, Mr Nasheed added: "President Yameen has illegally declared martial law and overrun the state. We must remove him from power."

Mr Nasheed was an opposition leader under a former government and became the country's first democratically elected leader in 2008, but was ousted and jailed in 2012.

A Maldivian minister to the UN, Jeffrey Salim Waheed, called his intervention "treason" and "the single biggest attempt to undermine the Maldives' sovereignty".

How did we get here?

Last week, the Supreme Court ordered the release of a group of opposition politicians. It also ruled that Mr Nasheed's trial, held in 2015, had been unconstitutional.

The country's police commissioner said he would enforce the court's ruling and, in response, the government of President Yameen sacked him.

The army has now been ordered to resist any attempt to impeach or remove President Yameen.

Police arrested Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and another judge, Ali Hameed, hours after the government declared a state of emergency.

Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who has allied himself with the opposition, was detained at his home.

In a video posted online, the ex-president addressed his supporters (in Divehi), saying that he had not "done anything to warrant arrest" while urging them to "remain strong".

The state of emergency gives security forces enhanced powers to make arrests, and means public gatherings are banned.

What does this mean for tourists?

The political crisis comes during the country's peak tourism season, when tens of thousands of foreigners visit the Maldives' beaches.

China, the US, India and the UK are among those issuing warnings to travellers in the Maldives.

The UK's Foreign Office said British nationals in the capital, Male, should "exercise caution and avoid any protests or rallies", but that outlying islands and resorts - and the international airport - were not affected.

Tourism was worth $2.7bn (£1.9bn) to the Maldivian economy in 2016. It is the biggest industry in the country - home to just 400,000 people - and could be hit hard if the crisis worsens and puts people off travelling.</s>(Reuters) - The declaration of a state of emergency in the Maldives and arrest of two senior judges prompted a exiled former president to ask India on Tuesday to send an envoy backed by military to free political prisoners on the tiny Indian Ocean archipelago.

Following is background to the crisis engulfing the overwhelmingly Muslim nation of 400,000 people, whose faraway islands are best known as a luxury holiday destination.

President Abdulla Yameen declared the state of emergency on Feb. 5, having defied a shock ruling from the Supreme Court that quashed convictions ranging from terrorism to corruption and ordered the release of nine leading opposition figures, on grounds that the cases against them were politically tainted.

Yameen came to power in 2013 after winning an election the opposition said was rigged. Critics accuse his government of imprisoning opponents, curbing free speech and exerting pressure on the judiciary.

His rival Mohamed Nasheed, became the Maldives’ first democratically elected president in 2009, but he was forced to resign amid a mutiny by police in 2012. After losing the election to Yameen the following year, Nasheed was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2015 on charges that he said were concocted by Yameen’s government.

Allowed to leave jail to seek medical treatment abroad, Nasheed was granted asylum by Britain in 2016. He has said he wants to contest a presidential election due later this year, and was in Colombo when Supreme Court decision precipitated the crisis. After Yameen declared a 15-day emergency on Tuesday, Nasheed called on India, the main regional power, to intervene.

Nasheed, a graduate of Britain’s Liverpool University, is well connected in the West and has been able to bring pressure against Yameen’s administration.

During his imprisonment, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, the wife of Hollywood actor George Clooney, championed his cause and helped expose alleged human rights violations by Yameen’s administration.

Back during his presidency, Nasheed had drawn world attention to the Maldives by conducting an underwater cabinet meeting, with the ministers wearing scuba diving suits, to highlight the dangers posed by global warming to low-lying island nations like his own.

While quashing the convictions against Nasheed and eight other opposition leaders, and ordering the release of those in detention, the court said that they should be re-tried.

It also ordered the reinstatement of 12 lawmakers who had been stripped of their parliamentary seats by Yameen’s partyfor defecting last year, saying their removal was unconstitutional.

The reinstatement of the dozen legislators, who now belong to opposition parties, would cause Yameen’s party to lose its majority in the 85-member assembly.

Should the opposition reach a majority, they would be able to unseat the speaker, who is a member of the ruling party, and pass no confidence motions against government officials.

Declaring the emergency, Yameen's office issued a statement saying the court order had disrupted functions of the executive and infringed national security and public interest. It also said the constitution could eventually be undermined if the court order was implemented. (bit.ly/2EKFYnm)

The president’s office said some rights have been restricted under the emergency and some laws suspended, though no curfew has been ordered. It gave assurances for the safety of Maldivians and foreigners.

Having imposed the state of emergency, Yameen ordered the arrest of the country’s chief justice and another top judge, and security forces seized control of the Supreme Court.

In a televised address to the nation, Yameen said he had acted to prevent a coup and implied the judges had sided with his enemies as they were under investigation for corruption.

The president had earlier fired two police chiefs who said they would uphold the court order to release Yameen’s opponents.

The army appears to be supporting Yameen. On Sunday, state television showed several police and soldiers saying they were ready to sacrifice their lives “in the defence of the lawful government”.

Yameen’s supporters have shut down an independent television station.

In a Twitter post, Nasheed requested India to send an envoy, backed by its military, to release the judges and political detainees. He also urged the United States to block financial transactions of Yameen’s government.

New Delhi sent troops to the Maldives in 1988 to foil a coup, purportedly involving foreign mercenaries.

The United States and India have urged Yameen to heed the court decision, but he has disregarded international calls to solve the crisis through dialogue.

China, which has boosted its investments in the Maldives, said the crisis should be settled internally.

The Maldives withdrew from the Commonwealth, the association of former British colonies and dominions, in 2016 after being threatened with suspension for failing to show progress on democracy.</s>An opposition leader in the Maldives has called on India to intervene after President Abdulla Yameen declared a 15-day state of emergency amid a deepening political crisis in the island nation.

Mohamed Nasheed, the country's exiled former president, urged neighbouring India on Tuesday to send "an envoy, backed by its military" to free two Supreme Court judges and a former president who were arrested in the capital Male after the emergency declaration.

"We are asking for a physical presence," Nasheed said in his appeal.

He also urged the United States to impose targeted sanctions on Yameen and his associates.

The Maldives, an Indian Ocean archipelago, was plunged into turmoil on February 1 when its Supreme Court issued a shock ruling that overturned terrorism convictions against nine of Yameen's opponents, including Nasheed, and ordered those in jail be freed.

Yameen defied the ruling and ignored calls from the United Nations, European Union, and foreign governments, including India and the US, to comply with it.

In a televised address on Tuesday, the president said he declared a state of emergency to investigate a "coup" against him.

Accusing Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and Judge Ali Hameed of corruption and judicial overreach, Yameen said the bench had deliberated on removing him and his attorney general, and discussed reinstating two police chiefs he had sacked over the weekend.

"I had to declare a state of emergency because I had no way to hold a judge of the Supreme Court accountable," he said. "I had to suspend [their immunity] to find out how thick this plot, this coup was."

The emergency decree gave security forces sweeping powers to make arrests and curtailed the authority of the judiciary.

Shortly after the emergency was announced on Monday, security forces stormed the Supreme Court building and arrested Saeed and Hameed. The remaining three judges on the top court bench were not detained.

Yameen's estranged half-brother, former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who has sided with the opposition, was also detained in the early hours of Tuesday.

Police also took Mohamed Nazim, a former defence minister who was under house imprisonment, into custody on Tuesday. Nazim was sentenced to 11-years in jail on weapons smuggling charges in 2015, and was among the nine whose release the top court had ordered last week.

Meanwhile, the parliament, where the opposition have a majority, remained suspended.

In his appeal on Tuesday, Nasheed, the former president, accused Yameen of declaring "martial law" in the Maldives.

"We must remove him from power," he said.

"We would also like the US government to ensure that US financial institutions stop all US$ financial transactions of the regime leaders in the Maldives," he added.

There was no immediate reaction from the US and India to Nasheed's appeal.

India's Ministry of External Affairs, in a statement on Tuesday, said it was "disturbed" by the state of emergency in the Maldives

The US meanwhile called for restraint.

"The Maldivian government and military must respect the rule of law, freedom of expression, and democratic institutions. The world is watching," the US National Security Council said in a Twitter post on Monday.

The UN, EU and UK have urged Yameen to revoke the emergency.

China, India, Australia and the US have issued travel advisories for the Maldives.</s>Feb 6 (Reuters) - The declaration of a state of emergency in the Maldives and arrest of two senior judges prompted a exiled former president to ask India on Tuesday to send an envoy backed by military to free political prisoners on the tiny Indian Ocean archipelago. Following is background to the crisis engulfing the overwhelmingly Muslim nation of 400,000 people, whose faraway islands are best known as a luxury holiday destination.

President Abdulla Yameen declared the state of emergency on Feb. 5, having defied a shock ruling from the Supreme Court that quashed convictions ranging from terrorism to corruption and ordered the release of nine leading opposition figures, on grounds that the cases against them were politically tainted.

Yameen came to power in 2013 after winning an election the opposition said was rigged. Critics accuse his government of imprisoning opponents, curbing free speech and exerting pressure on the judiciary.

His rival Mohamed Nasheed, became the Maldives' first democratically elected president in 2009, but he was forced to resign amid a mutiny by police in 2012. After losing the election to Yameen the following year, Nasheed was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2015 on charges that he said were concocted by Yameen's government.

Allowed to leave jail to seek medical treatment abroad, Nasheed was granted asylum by Britain in 2016. He has said he wants to contest a presidential election due later this year, and was in Colombo when Supreme Court decision precipitated the crisis. After Yameen declared a 15-day emergency on Tuesday, Nasheed called on India, the main regional power, to intervene.

Nasheed, a graduate of Britain's Liverpool University, is well connected in the West and has been able to bring pressure against Yameen's administration.

During his imprisonment, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, the wife of Hollywood actor George Clooney, championed his cause and helped expose alleged human rights violations by Yameen's administration.

Back during his presidency, Nasheed had drawn world attention to the Maldives by conducting an underwater cabinet meeting, with the ministers wearing scuba diving suits, to highlight the dangers posed by global warming to low-lying island nations like his own.

While quashing the convictions against Nasheed and eight other opposition leaders, and ordering the release of those in detention, the court said that they should be re-tried.

It also ordered the reinstatement of 12 lawmakers who had been stripped of their parliamentary seats by Yameen's party for defecting last year, saying their removal was unconstitutional.

The reinstatement of the dozen legislators, who now belong to opposition parties, would cause Yameen's party to lose its majority in the 85-member assembly.

Should the opposition reach a majority, they would be able to unseat the speaker, who is a member of the ruling party, and pass no confidence motions against government officials.

Declaring the emergency, Yameen's office issued a statement saying the court order had disrupted functions of the executive and infringed national security and public interest. It also said the constitution could eventually be undermined if the court order was implemented. (http://bit.ly/2EKFYnm)

The president's office said some rights have been restricted under the emergency and some laws suspended, though no curfew has been ordered. It gave assurances for the safety of Maldivians and foreigners.

Having imposed the state of emergency, Yameen ordered the arrest of the country's chief justice and another top judge, and security forces seized control of the Supreme Court.

In a televised address to the nation, Yameen said he had acted to prevent a coup and implied the judges had sided with his enemies as they were under investigation for corruption.

The president had earlier fired two police chiefs who said they would uphold the court order to release Yameen's opponents.

The army appears to be supporting Yameen. On Sunday, state television showed several police and soldiers saying they were ready to sacrifice their lives "in the defence of the lawful government".

Yameen's supporters have shut down an independent television station.

In a Twitter post, Nasheed requested India to send an envoy, backed by its military, to release the judges and political detainees. He also urged the United States to block financial transactions of Yameen's government.

New Delhi sent troops to the Maldives in 1988 to foil a coup, purportedly involving foreign mercenaries.

The United States and India have urged Yameen to heed the court decision, but he has disregarded international calls to solve the crisis through dialogue.

China, which has boosted its investments in the Maldives, said the crisis should be settled internally.

The Maldives withdrew from the Commonwealth, the association of former British colonies and dominions, in 2016 after being threatened with suspension for failing to show progress on democracy. (Compiled by Krishna N. Das; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)</s>The Maldives' exiled former president is calling on India and the United States to intervene in his country's political crisis.

Mohammed Nasheed issued a statement Tuesday urging India to send an envoy -- backed by its military forces -- to the tiny Indian Ocean archipelago to free imprisoned Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and court Judge Ali Hameed. Saeed and Hameed were arrested earlier Tuesday when security forces stormed the Supreme Court building in the capital, Male, just hours after President Abdulla Yameen declared a 15-day state of emergency.

"President Yameen has illegally declared martial law and overrun the state. We must remove him from power," Nasheed said in his statement. "We are asking for a physical presence." He also called on Washington to impose a freeze on all financial transactions of government officials.

Nasheed was elected president in the Maldives' first mulitparty election in 2008, but he resigned in 2012 amid a military takeover. He lost the 2013 presidential race to Yameen, and was then tried and convicted of terrorism charges in a trial criticized by human rights activists. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison, but later granted medical leave last year to travel to Britain, where he was granted asylum.

Police said in a Twitter message they had arrested Chief Justice Saeed and Judge Hameed "for an ongoing investigation." They gave no details about the allegations or charges against the two judges.

In addition to the two jurors, security forces also arrested former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

President Yameen imposed the state of emergency after refusing to comply with a Supreme Court order to release detained political leaders.

"During this time, though certain rights will be restricted, general movements, services and businesses will not be affected," a statement issued by the president's office said.

Yameen's administration defied the top court's order last week to release the prisoners, and asked the court Monday to revoke it.

Democratic gains in the Maldives have eroded under the leadership of Yameen, who has conducted a crackdown on the opposition and the press.</s>On February 7, 2012, a group of rogue Maldivian police and army personnel cornered their president, Mohamed Nasheed, at the army headquarters. He was guilty of corruption and had compromised the constitution and their religion, they alleged, and demanded that he step down immediately. Seeing little scope for a peaceful resolution, army generals advised Nasheed to throw open the armoury. “But the president was resolute that there be no bloodshed under his watch,” recalled Ahmed Naseem, who was foreign minister at the time.

Nasheed’s elected successor, Abdulla Yameen, has grappled with similar allegations of compromising the constitution, of becoming increasingly authoritarian, of fostering religious extremism and being involved in a $80-million corruption scandal. On February 4, it emerged that the country’s Supreme Court was planning to rule favourably on a petition to impeach Yameen. The president’s loyalists immediately swung into action. The attorney general and the police and army chiefs declared they would not comply with such a verdict. The speaker of the parliament indefinitely cancelled the session that was scheduled to start the next day. Riot police dispersed an anti-government rally with pepper sprays and tear gas.

Finally, in a televised address on Monday evening, the law minister declared a state of emergency for the next 15 days, the country’s second in three years. The armed forces now have sweeping powers to detain and arrest suspects and crucial constitutional provisions, including those that provide for impeaching the president, stand suspended.

Thus began the latest chapter in the story of Maldives oscillating between democracy and dictatorship. Which side the pendulum swings is generally determined by how far the elected leaders are willing to cling on to power. Yameen, his party’s leader in the parliament Ahmed Nihan has declared, will not back down “even if he is shot at with live rounds”.

In the past three years, the opposition led by Nasheed has made at least eight failed attempts at regime change, overtly and covertly. In retaliation, most of its leaders have been imprisoned or, like Nasheed, forced to go into exile. Yameen has also populated the police, military, judiciary and even independent institutions such as the Elections Commission with his loyalists, although this has only served to consolidate the opposition. In June 2016, the disparate opposition groups formed the Maldives United Opposition with the explicit purpose of restoring democracy by removing Yameen.

The united opposition tasted its first major success last February when it joined forces with Yameen’s half-brother Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. The 78-year-old former president, who remains an influential figure in Maldivian politics, facilitated an alliance with some ruling party members for the opposition to get a parliamentary majority – essential for launching impeachment proceedings. However, two such attempts in 2017 failed. In the meantime, the Elections Commission, through an inaccurate interpretation of a Supreme Court order on defection, stripped 12 MPs of the ruling party of their seats.

“The government took advantage of the SC order,” said Hamid Abdul Ghafoor, the spokesperson for the Maldives United Opposition. “This compromised the authority of the Supreme Court. I’m sure they didn’t appreciate that.”

On January 27, the president ordered the arrest of Faris Maumoon, son of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, for plotting to overthrow the government, just days after being released from six months in police custody. The next day, the united opposition petitioned the Supreme Court to temporarily remove Yameen from the presidency for corruption and theft. On January 31, they filed another petition for reinstating the 12 MPs.

Few expected the petitions would amount to much. The opposition, said Transparency International’s Mariyam Shiuna, was “clutching at straws”. After all, the Maldives has been repeatedly criticised for its politicised and ineffectual judiciary. Under Yameen’s rule, the Supreme Court had granted itself several extra-constitutional powers, including the powers to choose head of the judicial regulatory body; transfer, appoint, certify and dismiss judges and lawyers; authorise no-confidence motions passed in the parliament. In a Commonwealth review last year, Henry Mutunga, former chief justice of Kenya, recommended a “root and branch judicial reform” in the Maldives.

On February 1, however, the Supreme Court, after uncharacteristically criticising the government, ordered that the 12 MPs be reinstated. It also acknowledged the opposition’s allegations of politically-motivated sentencing, violation of human rights and lack of due processes in the trials of politicians. More bafflingly, the same bench of five judges which had dismissed a petition filed by Nasheed in 2015 alleging procedural irregularities by a criminal court that had sentenced him to 13 years in prison, ordered his release and that of eight other politicians on those very grounds.

As the international community – including India, the United States, United Kingdom and United Nations – chimed in to support of the Supreme Court’s ruling, the government shifted into damage control mode. Yameen fired two police chiefs within 48 hours without specifying the reasons. The attorney general, in a press conference on February 2, said the administration was “concerned with the SC ruling”. Two days later, he called another press conference, where, flanked by the army and police chiefs, he declared the Supreme Court’s rumoured plan to greenlight Yameen’s impeachment “illegal and unconstitutional”. By now, the election commissioner, coordinator of the Islamic affairs ministry, parliamentary secretary and a junior health minister had resigned, some for “personal reasons”, others in protest.

It is unclear what prompted the change of heart at the Supreme Court. While some speculate it may have been the result of negotiations with the opposition’s leadership, Ghafoor said it was a means of self-preservation in the year of the presidential election.

“I think the judges have fallen out with [Yameen],” he said. “President Yameen isn’t smart, only arrogant. I think the judges want to come out of this. They want to live in the Maldives. They might not have a job after but they want a decent life.”

Ibrahim Riffath, former solicitor general who was one of the petitioners, was guarded in his response. “I believe the SC has finally realised that there was political influence,” he said. “That’s clearly mentioned in the court order. It took them a while to realise it but they did.”

By February 5, the government and the Supreme Court were locked in a slugfest. The previous day, the police had attempted to arrest the chief judicial administrator – an officer under the Supreme Court who oversees all administrative matters of the judiciary – only to find the apex court had quashed its warrant. The court also dismissed the attorney general’s “concerns” and said the government was free to try the politicians afresh. Some ruling party MPs then claimed Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed’s signature on the order was forged, but the British ambassador to the Maldives declared that Saeed had confirmed the authenticity of his signature to him.

Meanwhile, the opposition has intensified its call for “international intervention”, especially by India. It would be in India’s interest, the opposition has argued, given that Yameen has been cosying up to China, signing a Free Trade Agreement and joining the Maritime Silk Road last December despite maintaining an overt India-first policy. On February 5, The Times of India reported that an unnamed judge of the Supreme Court of Maldives too had beseeched India for help.

“The simple explanation for the current crisis in the Maldives is that the president has lost control,” said Shahinda Ismail, executive director of the Maldives Democracy Network. “He’s a runaway dictator now. For five years, we had the same routine: people protested, police dispersed them and that was the end of the day. Since 2013, the government and the judiciary have worked hand in hand. The only way to change it was a change of power. Now there’s finally hope.”</s>The archipelago was plunged into chaos on Thursday when the Supreme Court called for the release of 9 imprisoned opposition politicians.

Mohamed Nasheed, whose Maldivian Democratic Party functions from Colombo, asked for India's help. (Photo: AP)

Colombo: Exiled former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed Tuesday urged India to "act swiftly" to help in resolving the ongoing political crisis in the island nation that escalated after President Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency and troops arrested the top judge of the country.

The archipelago was plunged into chaos on Thursday when the Supreme Court called for the release of nine imprisoned opposition politicians, ruling that their trials were politically motivated and flawed.

The government refused to implement the ruling, prompting a wave of protests in the capital, Male, with angry clashes between police and demonstrators.

Abdulla Yameen Monday declared a state of emergency. Within hours, Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and another judge, Ali Hameed, were arrested. No details were given about the investigation or any charges.

Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who has allied himself with the opposition, was detained at his home.

Mohamed Nasheed, whose Maldivian Democratic Party functions from Colombo, asked for India's help. He urged India to "act swiftly" to resolve the crisis.

"President Yameen's announcement which declares a state of emergency, the banning of fundamental freedoms, and the suspension of the Supreme Court is tantamount to a declaration of martial law in the Maldives. This declaration is unconstitutional and illegal. Nobody in the Maldives is required to, nor should, follow this unlawful order," Mr Nasheed said.

Also Read: Maldives: Political crisis deepens as govt warns SC against impeachment

Mohamed Nasheed also expressed concern over Yameen's deliberate delay in implementing the Supreme Court ruling to immediately release political prisoners.

"This deliberate refusal by the government to uphold the Constitution further destabilises the Maldives and wider Indian Ocean security," Mr Nasheed said.

Mohamed Nasheed, 50, the country's first democratically-elected leader -- 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.

He was granted asylum in the UK after he was authorised to seek medical treatment there amid mounting foreign pressure.

Mr Nasheed was narrowly defeated in 2013 by President Yameen. He says his conviction on terror charges was politically motivated.

The Maldivian government holds that Mohamed Nasheed is convicted for a crime and is wanted in the Maldives to serve a jail sentence. Mr Nasheed said he will seek UN support to ensure he is allowed to contest.</s>The former president of Maldives on Tuesday called on the United States and India to intervene in the ongoing crisis in the island nation.

Mohamed Nasheed made the request following several arrests in overnight, and President Abdulla Yameen's decision to declare a state of emergency.

"On behalf of Maldivian people we humbly request" the US "to stop all financial transactions of Maldives regime leaders going through US banks," Nasheed wrote on his Twitter account.

He also requested India provide "a physical presence" and to "send envoys, backed by its military" for the release of judges and political detainees including former dictator Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, president Yameen's half-brother, who has also been arrested.

The police have also arrested Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and other Supreme Court judges.

On Monday, the Maldives government declared a state of emergency for 15 days amid mounting tension due to Yameen's decision to defy a Supreme Court ruling.

On Feb. 1, the country's top court passed a ruling reinstating 12 lawmakers and dropping the charges against nine opposition politicians, including Nasheed.

It also ordered the release of the nine political prisoners, after concluding that "criminal proceedings were conducted based on political motivations (...) and the rulings were given subject to undue influence over judiciary and the prosecutor."

The president initially said he would abide by the order but on Monday he asked the highest judicial body to revoke its decision, saying it would potentially lead to an undermining of the supremacy of the constitution, which the court refused.

Nasheed, the country's first democratically elected leader, was jailed over charges related to ordering the arrest of a judge during his tenure, a controversial process that his party insists was plagued with irregularities.

The former president is currently in Colombo although he has been living in exile in London since May 2016.</s>NEW DELHI: The Ministry of External Affairs on Monday expressed concerns over the political crisis prevailing in Maldives.

"Prevailing political developments in Maldives and resultant law and order situation is a matter of concern for GoI. Indian nationals are advised to defer all non-essential travels to Male and other atolls until further notice," the ministry said.

MEA further said, "Indian expatriates in Maldives are also alerted to the need for heightened security awareness, and urged to exercise due caution in public and avoid public gatherings."

The MEA also issued an advisory for the Indian Nationals traveling to Maldives. The ministry's official spokesperson Raveesh Kumar took to Twitter and said, "Indian nationals are advised to defer all non-essential travel to Male and other atolls untill further notice. Detailed travel advisory at http://mymea.in/cx4"

"The prevailing political developments in Maldives and the resultant law and order situation is a matter of concern for the Government of India. Indian nationals are, therefore, advised to defer all non-essential travels to Male and other atolls until further notice. Indian expatriates in Maldives are also alerted to the need for heightened security awareness, and urged to exercise due caution in public and avoid public gatherings," the advisory read.

Amid massive protests, Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen Gayoom declared a state of emergency for a period of 15 days. "All basic rights have been suspended. Security forces have sweeping powers to arrest and search," Member of Parliament, Eva Abdulla said.

The protests erupted after President Gayoom refused to follow the Supreme Court's ruling to release the key political prisoners and reinstate the 12 MPs. The high-profile prisoners also include self-exiled former President Mohamed Nasheed and former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb.

Last Thursday, the Supreme Court had ruled that all politicians opposed to President Gayoom, including Nasheed, should be released. It had further said that their trials were "politically influenced".

The government has so far refused to implement the order, saying it had concerns about releasing those who were convicted for "terrorism, graft, embezzlement and treason".

It said it had been advised by the Chief Justice to follow "due process in releasing the detainees".

Nasheed, the country's first democratically elected leader, took office in 2008. He was ousted in a coup in February 2012.

The country has seen political unrest since he was sentenced to 13 years in jail in 2015 on terrorism charges. He was given political asylum in the UK in 2016.
Former President of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed calls from exile for other countries to intervene in a political crisis engulfing the island nation. Nasheed asks India to help release prisoners and the United States to curb leaders' financial transactions.