Exiled Maldives opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed has asked India and the US for help in removing the country's current President Abdulla Yameen over his "illegal" declaration of martial law, AFP news agency reported Tuesday.
"President (Abdulla) Yameen has illegally declared martial law and overrun the state. We must remove him from power. The people of the Maldives have a legitimate request to world governments, especially to India and the United States," Nasheed said in a statement.
In his speech, Nasheed made clear, he wanted India to send troops to the Maldives.
"We would like the Indian government to send an envoy, backed by its military, to free the judges and the political detainees," the politician said.
The archipelago, situated in the Indian Ocean, has been rapidly strengthening ties with China, which is a source of concern for India.
READ MORE: Maldives Leader Declares State of Emergency, Ex-President Arrested — Reports
Mohamed Nasheed became the first democratically elected president of the Maldives in 2008. He was deposed in 2012 and found guilty of terrorist activities in 2015.
According to the official charge, Nasheed committed a number of offenses under the law on terrorism. The arrest and imprisonment of the former president sparked condemnation from the international community, which believes that the procedure did not comply with the standards of adjudication.