ISAS Briefs

On 1 February 2018, the Supreme Court of the Maldives ordered the government to release all political prisoners and called on the legislature to hold its first meeting in 2018. This resulted in tensions between President Abdulla Yameen and the judiciary. In an attempt to forcefully re-establish its authority, the government imposed a State of Emergency and curtailed the basic rights of its citizens. As a result of the government’s crackdown, the Supreme Court annulled its earlier order on 6 February 2018. This paper traces the outbreak of the political turmoil in the Maldives and looks at the response of the international community to the crisis.