Maldivian President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom Sunday lifted a state of emergency he clamped on the Indian Ocean atoll nation two months ago to crush pro-democracy protests.
Government spokesman Ahmed Shaheed said in a statement here that Gayoom, Asia's longest serving leader, lifted the emergency and that an unspecified number of people still in detention should soon be charged or released.
The emergency giving wide powers to Gayoom was declared on August 13 after thousands of residents staged a demonstration in the capital island Male seeking democratic reforms the president himself had promised.
"In line with the normal provisions contained within the criminal justice system, all those people currently in detention will either face charges or will be released shortly," the statement said.