Maldives has lifted the state of emergency imposed a week ago, the foreign affairs ministry announced on Tuesday. Foreign minister Dunya Maumoon said he was pleased that the matter "has been dealt with so swiftly". He commended the Maldives Police and security forces for having done "a fantastic job over the last week" to get the country "back on a more normal footing". He also revealed that "international calls" for lifting the state of emergency were given consideration when making the decision.

The emergency was declared in the Indian Ocean island nation by President Abdulla Yameen on November 4, which gave absolute powers to security forces to arrest suspects ahead of a major anti-government protest rally. Maldives has been in a state of political turmoil following a blast on the president's boat on September 28. The vice-president, Ahmed Adeeb, was arrested last month for the suspected "assassination attempt", a charge which he has rejected.

Former president Mohamed Nasheed, who lost the 2013 presidential election to Yameen, was jailed for 13 years in March on charges of terrorism. The United States and human rights groups have called the case politically motivated, with the United Nations asking for his release.