US welcomes Maldives apex court ruling on political prisoners

The US today welcomed the decision by the Maldives' Supreme Court to order the release of political prisoners and to reinstate elected members of parliament.
"The United States urges the Maldivian government to respect and abide by the Supreme Court ruling," State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said.
"It is imperative that the Maldivian president, government, and security services uphold the Constitution and rule of law and implement the court's ruling in full," she said.
Nauert said the US also strongly supports freedom of expression for all Maldivians and calls upon the government to uphold this fundamental freedom.