Emergency lifted in Maldives after 45 days

The emergency, which was imposed on Feb 5 for 15 days, was later extended for another 30 days with the parliament’s approval, a move challenged by the Opposition.

During the emergency period, former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the chief justice, another Supreme Court judge, and a Supreme Court administrator were arrested on allegations of attempting to overthrow the government.

Amidst allegations of Maldives government targeting opposition leaders and jailed many including the veteran leader and former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the official statement announcing the decision on Thursday said the constitutional crisis that led to the Emergency was created by two Justices of the Supreme Court “who conspired with political actors to violate both the Constitution and standard legal norms and practices in order to illegally overthrow a lawful Government, and whose actions constituted an imminent threat to national security.”

“The State of Emergency was declared by a Presidential Decree issued on 5 February 2018 for national security reasons. It was extended via a resolution of the Parliament on 20 February 2018 for a period of 30 days, applicable only to those under investigation for crimes relating to the Constitutional Crisis,” the statement said.

However, former President Mohamed Nasheed has said, though a post on his Twitter account, that the state of emergency was lifted because President Abdulla Yameen no longer has any need for it.

"President Yameen lifts the SoE because he now has no need for it. He has overrun the judiciary and legislature, arrested hundreds unlawfully and introduced a “new normal” in the #Maldives - full dictatorship. We will not give up, we will fight and we will overcome," the tweet said.