YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. Maldives police arrested former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom on Monday, his spokesman Abdul Aleem told Reuters, hours after President Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency for 15 days, Reuters reports.

Gayoom, who is Yameen’s half-brother and ruled the country for 30 years until 2008, was arrested at his residence, along with his son-in-law. Yameen has defied a Supreme Court ruling ordering jailed opposition leaders to be freed, including Gayoom’s son Farish, an opposition lawmaker.

Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and another Supreme Court judge were also arrested.

Police said in a Twitter message they had arrested Saeed and Supreme Court Judge Ali Hameed “for an ongoing investigation”.