AFP/GETTY
The Maldives Supreme Court has ordered the immediate release and retrial of the exiled former president Mohamed Nasheed and opposition leaders.
In a statement, the court declared that their original trials violated constitutional and international law.
It also nullified a decision which resulted in 12 lawmakers losing their seats - effectively giving opposition politicians a majority in parliament.
But their jubilation on the streets of the capital Male was quickly contained by police using tear gas.
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The tourist destination has seen political unrest since Mr Nasheed, the country's first democratically elected leader, was convicted in 2015.
His conviction and 13-year-sentence was internationally condemned, and he was given political asylum in the United Kingdom.
The country's former Vice-President Ahmed Adheeb Abdul Ghafoor and other opposition leaders were among the others named in the order.
It called for their immediate release and said the "questionable and politically motivated nature of the trials of the political leaders warrant a re-trial".
In a tweet, Mr Nasheed called for President Abdulla Yameen to resign. The call was echoed in a joint statement issued by the country's opposition parties.
Mr Nasheed told local television that he planned to return to Male, but not immediately.
"I will move forward wisely with the advice of the party and the united parties," he said.
The US ambassador to Sri Lanka urged the country's leader to respect the court's judgement.
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A spokesman for the president's office said in a statement that the government questioned the ruling but would comply.
However the chief of police has reportedly been fired following the ruling, Attorney General Mohamed Anil said.
The Indian Ocean nation has been independent from Britain for 53 years, but was ruled for decades autocratically by former President Maumoon Abdul Gayhoom.
It became a multi-party democracy in 2008, but since President Yameen took power in 2013 it has faced questions over freedom of speech, the detention of opponents and the independence of the judiciary.
It is made up of 26 coral atolls and 1,192 individual islands, and is popular among foreigners as a luxury tourist destination.
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