The island nation has plunged into fresh political turmoil after the Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the immediate release of jailed political leaders including self-exiled former president Mohamed Nasheed.
President Yameen late Monday had declared a state of emergency after his last ditch attempt to convince the top court to revoke the order failed after the apex court rejected the government's 'legal and judicial' concerns over the order. President Yameen has declared emergency state for 15 days and suspended as many as 20 constitutional rights for the duration along with the criminal procedure Act and several articles of the judicature Act. The constitutional rights suspended president Yameen has effectively quashed any moves by the opposition to impeach him while also stripping the Supreme Court of any authority. A few hours after emergency state was declared police had taken chief justice Abdulla Saeed and Supreme Court Judge Abdulla Hameed into custody.
In his address to the nation on Tuesday afternoon, president Yameen shed light on the reasons behind his decision to declare emergency state saying that the "shocking" Supreme Court order had threatened to "cripple" the functioning of the state.

The island nation has plunged into fresh political turmoil after the Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the immediate release of jailed political leaders including self-exiled former president Mohamed Nasheed.
President Yameen late Monday had declared a state of emergency after his last ditch attempt to convince the top court to revoke the order failed after the apex court rejected the government's 'legal and judicial' concerns over the order. President Yameen has declared emergency state for 15 days and suspended as many as 20 constitutional rights for the duration along with the criminal procedure Act and several articles of the judicature Act. The constitutional rights suspended president Yameen has effectively quashed any moves by the opposition to impeach him while also stripping the Supreme Court of any authority. A few hours after emergency state was declared police had taken chief justice Abdulla Saeed and Supreme Court Judge Abdulla Hameed into custody.
In his address to the nation on Tuesday afternoon, president Yameen shed light on the reasons behind his decision to declare emergency state saying that the "shocking" Supreme Court order had threatened to "cripple" the functioning of the state.