Lawyers of the opposition coalition claims government does not have any option except to implement the top-court order of releasing jailed political leaders.
While addressing the issue of Supreme Court's order Hisan Hassan, a prime lawyer of the opposition, said that Attorney General Mohamed Anil has pushed the order from implementing to it on the pretext of evaluating the elements of the document - which state claims have suspicious citations. AG Anil was meeting with Chief Justice to discuss and consult over the top-court order.
Hassan noted that Attorney General had met with Chief Justice and ordered to follow 'due process.' She added that the state does not have any more options since they have exhausted all, but to comply with the Supreme Court order.
Advocate Hisan Hassan said that the government nor anyone can postpone the freedom of anyone and to do so would be a criminal offense. She also said that such an act can be described as 'kidnapping' and a direct attempt to impede court order.
Elections Commission had ruled 12 constituent representatives have lost their parliament seats over floor-crossing post no-confidence motion of People's Majilis (parliament) Speaker Abdulla Maseeh, in 2017. This was a politically motivated move to provide a substantial power gain for President Yameen and his administration, according to Hassan.
She asserted that government and EC has failed in complying to the Supreme Court order - which as per Maldives Constitution is a grave offense.
Meanwhile former Deputy Prosecutor General Hussain Shameem has stressed the inaction of state towards complying SC order doing the opposite would be confirmed as a criminal offense. Shameem also noted that AG's cannot meet with Chief Justice to discuss any matters of on-going cases or court rulings and this is not practiced anywhere in the world.
Maldives' united opposition on Friday has filed a 'habeas corpus' motion at the Criminal Court in a bid to secure the release of jailed political leaders including self-exiled former president Mohamed Nasheed.
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.
