Maldives President Abdulla Yameen asked the island nation's Supreme Court Monday to revoke its recent order to release detained political leaders.
Yameen's administration has defied the top court's order, handed down last week, to release the prisoners.
Also Monday, the state health minister resigned in protest against the president's decision to ignore the court order. Hussain Rasheed said in his resignation letter: "My conscience does not allow me to work under a defiant regime."
On Sunday, the government warned its agencies to reject any calls by the Supreme Court to impeach President Yameen.
"Any Supreme Court order to arrest the president would be unconstitutional and illegal. So I have asked the police and the army not to implement any unconstitutional order," Attorney General Mohamed Anil said Sunday in a national television address.
The top court ordered the release Thursday of nine political dissidents and 12 lawmakers who oppose the president, including exiled former president Mohammed Nasheed. Nasheed was the country's first democratically elected leader.
The judges said the cases were politically motivated.
With the 12 lawmakers returned to parliament, the opposition would have a majority.
In another development Sunday, Parliament Secretary-General Ahmed Mohamed resigned unexpectedly.
On Saturday, parliament announced the cancellation of its opening session and shut down indefinitely. Parliament had been scheduled to open Monday with an address by President Yameen.
Democratic gains in the Maldives have eroded under the leadership of Yameen, who has conducted a crackdown on the opposition and the press.
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