A large number of employees at the Prosecutor General’s Office have signed a petition against extending the state of emergency announced this month.

An employee told RaajjeTV that 31 lawyers at the office have signed the petition urging Prosecutor General Aishath Bisham not to change her declaration in a letter to the police that the state of emergency has been lifted.

In the letter, the PG said that the parliament’s approval on Sunday to extend the state of emergency was not valid, and requested the police to free the prisoners arrested following the declaration of the state of emergency.

Some PG officials have confirmed the contents of the letter.

Efforts to draw up a petition in support of the PG’s declaration was also attempted by employees at the Attorney General’s office, but was stopped. A senior official at the office had also resigned due to AG Mohamed Anil’s handling of the issue, while another official took to social media to voice her concern that the state of emergency was declared unlawfully.

The motion to extend the state of emergency was passed after the government claimed it did not need the compliance of citizens. Numerous lawyers have taken issue with this claim.