The United States’ ambassador to the Maldives, Atul Keshap, has commended the local Supreme Court for its ruling on Thursday, and called on the government to respect the decision.
Ambassador Keshap shared this sentiment on a post on Twitter account, where he also said that this was an important step in maintain the rule of law in the Maldives.
I welcome the decision by the #Maldives Supreme Court to order the release of all political prisoners and ensure their fair treatment under law. I urge the Government and security services to respect this ruling, which bolsters #democracy and #RuleOfLaw for all Maldivians.
— Atul Keshap (@USAmbKeshap) February 1, 2018
The Supreme Court ruling on Thursday night requires all relevant state institutions to enforce it, which the police announced it would initially do.
However, shortly after the dismissal of Police Commissioner Ahmed Areef was announced and the government said in a press conference that the validity of the ruling is yet to be decided.
The court has ordered the Prosecutor General's Office to take legal action against any institutions or individuals that impede the enforcing of the ruling.
The Supreme Court's ruling also state that the 12 parliamentarians declared to have been disqualified by the Elections Commission retain their seats.
