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'SC order received, will implement!', says Police

Maldives Police Service has confirmed of receiving the sudden Supreme Court order and the department is attempting to implement it.

While addressing the issue during an interview with Public Service Media (PSM) the Assistant Commissioner of Police Abdulla Navaaz has said the authority was currently in filling the procedural works of implementing the top-court rule, adding it is proceeding according to legal consultancy.

In addition to this, Navaaz had also assured police will provide protection and safety to the people of Maldives while advised the citizens to support authority's attempt to preserve safety and security of the country.

The top-court order concluded urging the government, Maldivian citizens and government authorities including both Police and Defense Forces to uphold the ruling and assist to implement it.

Supreme Court has also asserted the failure to comply with the order, either by defiance or excusing should be individually investigated and presented to court for pressing charges to those responsible. Top Court had ordered Attorney General to comply in the aforementioned order.

Hours after the Supreme Court ordered the relevant authorities to immediately release all jailed political leaders, the Attorney General (AG) Mohamed Anil flanked by the home minister, defence minister and army chief in a brief press briefing insisted that the government was now trying to verify the validity of the Supreme Court order.

In addition to Nasheed, the other top political leaders named in the order included Jumhoory Party (JP) leader Gasim Ibrahim, religiously conservative Adhaalath Party (AP) leader Sheikh Imran Abdulla, former defence minister Mohamed Nazim, former vice president Ahmed Adheeb Abdul Ghafoor and deposed ruling party leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's lawmaker son Faris Maumoon.

The others named in the order included former prosecutor general Muhthaz Muhsin, magistrate Ahmed Nihan and Adheeb's brother in law Hamid Ismail.

The court said the questionable and politically motivated nature of the trials of the political leaders warrants a re-trial and ordered the authorities to immediately free the jailed leaders until a court of law sentences otherwise.

The court has ordered relevant authorities to strictly enforce the order and warned legal action against anyone who refuses to obey the court order.

The court had also annulled its anti-defection ruling and ordered the country's electoral watchdog to re-instate the dozen government lawmakers disqualified over the ruling. The Supreme Court said the anti-defection ruling was issued as a temporary solution to the constitutional dispute case filed by the state but insisted that the relevant authorities have failed to bring to effect an anti-defection law specified in the ruling

Top opposition figures have called on the entire nation to join the celebrations to mark the end of 'tyranny'. They had echoed calls for the immediate impeachment of incumbent president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom.