Maldives crisis: Army stormed inside Supreme Court

Male [Maldives], Feb 05 (ANI): Just hours after Maldives President Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency in the country, country's National Defence Force stormed inside the Supreme Court (SC) premises in Male.

"The National Defense Forces of the Maldives have broken into the Supreme Court of the Maldives," Official account of Maldives Judiciary tweeted.

BREAKING NEWS:
THE NATIONAL DEFENSE FORCES OF THE MALDIVES HAVE BROKEN INTO THE SUPREME COURT OF THE MALDIVES.

— Maldives Judiciary (@judiciarymv) February 5, 2018

Maldives former attorney general Husnu Al Suood has been tweeting about the developments taking place inside the SC premises.

"Now security forces have started breaking the gates of the supreme court as per CJ," Suood tweeted.

Now security forces have started breaking the gates of the supreme court as per CJ.

— Husnu Al Suood (@hsuood) February 5, 2018

"SO Police and the military are already inside the supreme court as per CJ," he said in a second tweet.

SO Police and the military are already inside the supreme court as per CJ

— Husnu Al Suood (@hsuood) February 5, 2018

Earlier, the former attorney general said he has been informed that the army could storm the SC building at any moment.

"Maldives CJ called me a little while ago and asked me to inform the public to protect him and the institution. He is expecting the police and army to storm into the Supreme Court building at any moment," Suood, who is also the president of Maldives Bar Association, tweeted.

Early Monday evening, President Yameen declared a state of emergency for 15 days.

Opposition leaders across the Maldives were being rounded up and placed under detention as Yameen, who has been refusing to obey SC's orders, directing him to release nine prominent leaders from prison, has given sweeping powers to security forces.

Another former general attorney Ahmad Ali Sawad said the state of emergency should not be used by the government to crush the fundamental rights of its citizens.

"State of Emergency shudn't be used by Govt of Maldives/Armed/Security Services as a carte blanche impunity to trample on fundamental rights of ppl. Nor shud they use SoE to brutalise State institutions into submission to Executive power. That'd be a slippery road to a deep abyss (sic)," Sawad tweeted.

State of Emergency shudn't be used by Govt of Maldives/Armed/Security Services as a carte blanche impunity to trample on fundamental rights of ppl. Nor shud they use SoE to brutalise State institutions into submission to Executive power. That'd be a slippery road to a deep abyss.

— ahmad ali sawad (@DrSawad) February 5, 2018

The United States has also expressed its support to the people of the Maldives and said the government must respect the law and democratic values.

"America stands with the people of Maldives. The Maldivian government and military must respect the rule of law, freedom of expression, and democratic institutions. The world is watching," the U.S. National Security Council tweeted.

America stands with the people of Maldives. The Maldivian government and military must respect the rule of law, freedom of expression, and democratic institutions. The world is watching.

— NSC (@WHNSC) February 5, 2018

(ANI)