A state of emergency has been declared in the paradise islands of the Maldives, as protests over the imprisonment of political prisoners continue to spiral out of control.
The 15-day state of emergency has seen the suspension of parliament, with security forces swarming the Supreme Court.
Violent scenes erupted on the streets after President Abdulla Yameen defied a Supreme Court ruling handed down last week which revoked terrorism charges against nine leading opposition figures.
The court also ordered the release of six opposition figures, who are being held in the country’s main jail on a remote island.
In a statement, the President’s office said: “The President has been compelled to declare a state of emergency due to the risk currently posed to national security. Implementation of the Supreme Court ruling is in its current form incompatible with the maintenance of public safety.”
At close to midnight, roads leading to the Supreme Court had been barricaded, with baton-wielding police charging at protesters to disperse them.
Husnu Al Suood, the president of Maldives Bar Association and a former Attorney general, said: “I just spoke to the Chief Justice and he told me that the gates of the Supreme Court (are) being stormed by the military. He is inside and nobody can go out or come in.”
“The emergency means the Supreme Court activities are suspended and nobody is in charge of the judiciary.”
Under President Yameen’s orders, former Maldivian president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has also been arrested at his home, in what has been dubbed by the opposition as a “purge” on the Indian Ocean island nation.
Gayoom ruled the country for 30 years until 2008 and is now in the opposition.
His son Faris is one of the jailed opposition figures ordered to be freed by the court.
In a recorded video posted on social media, 80-year-old Gayoom said he was being taken to the prison island of Dhoonidhoo.
He said: “I have not committed any crime. This arrest is unlawful. I will remain strong and I ask the beloved people to remain strong.”
Images from the capital Malé show security forces loyal to Yameen storming the court, as well as surrounding the homes of former leaders who spoke out against the developments.
Local reports suggest pepper spray had been used to disperse protesters after Gayoom called on them to take a stand against the current government.
Another former president, Mohamed Rasheed, who also remains locked up despite the Surpeme Court order, described the state of emergency as “tantamount to a declaration of martial law in the Maldives.”
President Yameen, who has been in office since 2013, faces mounting pressure at home and from the United States and India to obey the court’s order.
China, the United States and India have all issued travel advisories for the Maldives.
The beach paradise is home to 400,000 people and welcomes thousands of tourists annually.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has called on President Yameen to lift the state of emergency, saying: “The damage being done to democratic institutions in Maldives and the sustained misuse of process in Parliament is deeply worrying.”
The US National Security Council has warned in a tweet that “the world is watching,” adding: “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 Maldives has experienced political unrest since Mohamed Nasheed, the island’s first democratically-elected leader, was forced to quit amid a mutiny by police in 2012.
The following year, Yameen defeated Nasheed in an election that Nasheed’s supporters say was rigged.
Nasheed was jailed on terrorism charges but was allowed to go to Britain for medical treatment in January 2016.
He has lived in exile since and is currently in Sri Lanka.
Under the country’s constitution, the declaration of a state of emergency should be submitted to parliament.
In the event of a dispute about the declaration, the Supreme Court is meant to rule on its validity.
However, with the court effectively suspended, it remains unclear how this might happen.