Asia/South Asia
6 years ago

Maldives ex-President seeks India, US intervention

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Former president of the Maldives on Tuesday has called from exile for other countries to intervene in a political crisis engulfing the island nation.

Mohammed 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, according to BBC.

"We must remove him from power," Mr Nasheed said in a statement.

The government has declared a state of emergency and the chief justice of the Supreme Court has been detained with no further details given about his detention or charges.

The opposition has called his arrest and that of another judge a "purge".

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

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

Maldives is a nation in the Indian Ocean, made up of 26 coral atolls and 1,192 individual islands, and tourism is a vital part of its economy.

Countries including India, the US, the UK and China have warned tourists to be cautious, especially near political rallies, although the UK government has advised that areas away from the capital, including the international airport, remained safe.

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