The chief of Maldives' main prison in Maafushi island stepped down late Friday amid the ongoing political standoff in the archipelago.
Director of prisons Salman Rasheed told AVAS that he had decided to resign because he does not wish to remain in his post at this time.
"It was my own decision. It wasn't based on any pressure," Salman said after ending a 14 year career.
Salman's decision comes in the wake of a Supreme Court order to release all jailed political leaders including self-exiled former president Mohamed Nasheed.
The Supreme Court had 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.
Nearly a day after the Supreme Court issued the order, Attorney General (AG) Mohamed Anil in a brief statement on state TV, said the relevant authorities have consulted chief justice Abdulla Saeed over the court order.
"The chief justice has asked us to implement the court order within the due process," Anil said.
Anil said the chief prosecutor had "concerns" over the court order and would now review the cases of the nine people named in the order before submitting it to the apex court.
"We've been advised [by the chief justice] to carry out things within the due process. PG has now started reviewing the cases in the list and would share the concerns he has over the order and submit it to the Supreme Court to find a way forward," the AG explained.
Once the concerns have been submitted, Anil said the government believes the Supreme Court would then decide on the best way forward.
The Supreme Court had 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.
Nearly a day after the Supreme Court issued the order, Attorney General (AG) Mohamed Anil in a brief statement on state TV, said the relevant authorities have consulted chief justice Abdulla Saeed over the court order.
"The chief justice has asked us to implement the court order within the due process," Anil said.
Anil said the chief prosecutor had "concerns" over the court order and would now review the cases of the nine people named in the order before submitting it to the apex court.
"We've been advised [by the chief justice] to carry out things within the due process. PG has now started reviewing the cases in the list and would share the concerns he has over the order and submit it to the Supreme Court to find a way forward," the AG explained.
Once the concerns have been submitted, Anil said the government believes the Supreme Court would then decide on the best way forward.
