Maldives crisis: Army on high alert after Chief Justice gets threat calls

Male: Maldivian Army have on Sunday been placed on high alert as President Abdulla Yameen refused to accept Supreme Court order to reinstate opposition leaders.

Maldives Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed rejected review petition filed on behalf of the government by Prosecutor General saying that the government should implement the order first before seeking review.

Meanwhile, CJ Saeed claimed that he has been getting anonymous threat calls. Armed forces and the police have barricaded the SC's premises in Male and there is a high probability of a showdown.

Earlier in the day, the beleaguered Maldives government ordered police and troops to reject any move by the Supreme Court to arrest or impeach President Abdulla Yameen over his refusal to release political prisoners.

On Saturday, agitators in the Maldivian capital had opened the gate of Maafushi Prison, where the 12 parliamentary members have been kept in detention, but did not enter inside.

The prison officers came in their riot gears and tried to control the agitators. Later, the National Defence Force also came in their riot gears.

Protests continued in the Maldivian capital as President Abdulla Yameen refused to follow the Maldivian Supreme Court's ruling to release key political prisoners and reinstate the 12 parliamentary members.

This decision has pushed the island nation into a crisis with the likelihood of emergency being declared, as Yameen has got the first session of parliament of 2018 (scheduled for February 5) cancelled, sensing that the opposition will be in majority because of the apex court order.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court had acquitted former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed and former Maldivian Vice President Ahmed Adeeb along with 12 other parliamentary members.

The court had ordered the immediate release of high-profile prisoners and held that "the prisoners were free until fair trials could be conducted without undue influence".

(With agency inputs)