"President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom today lifted the State of Emergency under the powers granted to him by the Constitution of the Republic of Maldives. The announcement of a State of Emergency was precipitated by a Constitutional Crisis created by two Justices of the Supreme Court who conspired with political actors… in order to illegally overthrow a lawful Government," the statement read.
The political situation in the Maldives deteriorated gravely in early February, when the country's Supreme Court decided to release jailed politicians, including former Maldives leader Mohamed Nasheed, and restored the membership of 12 opposition lawmakers in the country's parliament. Following the Supreme Court's ruling, local media reported about the possible attempts to start impeachment proceedings against the president, after which Yameen declared the state of emergency.
READ MORE: Maldives Supreme Court Temporary Upholds State of Emergency Extension — Reports
The crisis in the Maldives was accompanied by a series of detentions, including that of another former Maldivian leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, two Supreme Court judges and a number of opposition politicians. The country's authorities accused Gayoom of bribing judges in order to overturn the conviction of the released opposition figures and facilitate the government's overthrow. Those detained under emergency powers were charged with terrorism earlier in March.
