Thousands of opposition protesters are marching in the capital of the Maldives demanding President Yameen Abdul Gayoom resign and the former president be released from prison.
In one of the biggest marches in Male on Friday the protesters accused Gayoom of jailing Mohamed Nasheed and others who he sees as political threats.
Nasheed was sentenced to 13 years in prison in March for ordering the arrest of a senior judge when he was president three years ago.
Gayoom's former defense minister Mohamed Nazim has been jailed for 10 years for importing and possessing a firearm, which is forbidden for private individuals.
Famed for its luxury island resorts, Maldives became a multiparty democracy in 2008 when Nasheed was elected president ending a 30-year autocratic rule.
