Maldives crises: Military throws MPs out of Parliament

The military in the Maldives on Wednesday threw all Members of Parliament (MPs) out of the Parliament building.

"Parliament under military siege in #Maldives parliament today members were thrown out of the parliament building compound," tweeted Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Thilafaiy.

"Security Forces literally throws an MP out of the Majlis premises! The Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed was telling the truth when he said he was forcefully dragged on the floor from his chambers," tweeted MDP Secretary General Anas Abdul Sattar.

Earlier on Tuesday, the military blocked MPs from entering the Parliament building.

On Saturday, embattled Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen refused to meet with diplomats from the European Union, Germany and the United Kingdom after the state of emergency was imposed in the Maldives last week.

Earlier, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, termed the Maldives' state of emergency as an "all-out assault on democracy".

The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also appealed to the Maldivian government to lift the emergency soon.

The Maldivian capital remained tense as opposition leaders across were being rounded up and placed under detention as Yameen, who has been refusing to obey SC's orders directing him to release nine prominent leaders from prison, gave sweeping powers to the security forces.

Last week, the Maldivian Supreme Court acquitted former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed, former Maldivian Vice President Ahmed Adeeb and ordered the reinstatement of the 12 other parliamentary members.

--ANI