State of Emergency was Declared in the Maldives

Maldives President Abdulla Yameen announced a state of emergency for the archipelago, which will last for 15 days, the World Agencies have reported.

Security forces entered the Supreme Court building, and former State President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was detained. Gayoom, 80, ruled the country 30 years before the first democratic elections held in 2008. In 2013, he stood on the side of the current opposition.

The extraordinary situation gives extra security powers to arrest alleged criminals. Restrictions on freedom of assembly have been introduced. The government has frozen the work of the parliament and has ordered the army to counteract any attempt of impeachment of President Abdulla Yameen by the Supreme Court.

There will be additional powers to order searches and property seizure. The declared state of emergency deepens the crisis in the island state located in the Indian Ocean. Last week, the Supreme Court overturned the sentences for terrorism, corruption, treason and diversion imposed in 2015 to nine opposition members and former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed, who lives in exile in the UK.

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