India has expressed dismay over the prison sentences of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and the two Supreme Court justices, Abdulla Saeed and Ali Hameed, and questioned the credibility of fair presidential elections in the Maldives this year. In a statement made by the Ministry of External Affairs, India reiterated it's advice to the government of the Maldives to restore the credibility of the electoral and political process by immediately releasing political prisoners, including former President Gayoom and Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed, and create necessary conditions for the participation of all political forces in the Presidential Elections.
India stated that it has repeatedly called on the Maldivian government "to allow all institutions, including the Supreme Court and the Parliament, to function in a free and independent manner, and to permit genuine political dialogue between all political parties", noting that the international community demands the same.
Relations between Maldives and India have drifted after the island nation established blooming bilateral ties with China.
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