Maldivian Supreme Court judges have asked India and other democratic countries for help
As the Maldives government headed by President Abdulla Yameen showed no intention to implement Supreme Court order last week to release jailed opposition leaders, apex court judges have reportedly asked India and other democratic countries for help.
The Maldivian Supreme Court, in a significant development on February 1, ordered the immediate release of the former president Mohamed Nasheed and other opposition leaders.
The Times of India reported that Yameen was looking to sack SC judges, including chief justice Abdulla Saeed, by filing false cases against them.
"The chief of judicial administration, Hasan Saeed, had his home raided on bribery charges and judges are being intimidated. We need India to take tough measures to ensure that rule of law is implemented in the Maldives," TOI quoted a top source in the SC.
The Indian mission in Male, according to sources in New Delhi, was in touch with "all relevant agencies" involved in the crisis, the report said.
The chief justice has also received threats to his life via anonymous telephone calls, ANI reported.
India on Friday asked the Maldivian government to abide by the country's Supreme Court order to release all political prisoners "in the spirit of democracy". It was imperative for "all organs" of the Maldivian government to abide by the order, a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
MEA said it was "closely monitoring" the evolving situation in the Maldives and also hoped that the safety and security of Indian expatriates in the island nation would be ensured by the Maldivian authorities under "all circumstances".
Yameen has fired two police chiefs since Thursday when the Supreme Court threw out terrorism convictions against former president Mohamed Nasheed and eight other opposition figures.
Police had indicated they would enforce the ruling.
The court also ordered 12 members of parliament who had been stripped of their seats to be restored to the body.
The 12 had quit Yameen's ruling party last year, and allowing them to return to the legislature would deprive him of a majority.
Some of the jailed opposition leaders have said they have evidence of corruption by Yameen, who has denied all such allegations.
Earlier on Sunday, Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed rejected the government's petition for review, saying the latter has to first implement the apex court's order and only then seek a review.
Yameen, in power since 2013 and facing elections in October, is under international pressure to heed the court decision, while hundreds of protesters have taken to the country's streets to demand compliance with the order.
However, even three days after the ruling, Yameen has not moved to free the prisoners.
Meanwhile, the attorney general said on Sunday the Supreme Court is trying to impeach the President for not obeying its order and added the government will resist any such attempt.
Attorney General Mohamed Anil said on Sunday that the government had received information that the Supreme Court was preparing to fire Yameen, but such a move would be illegal and the police and army had been instructed not to carry out such an order.
(With agencies)
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 "People celebrating the Supreme Court's decision to order the release of jailed political leaders")
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