<div><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;">The United States today expressed disappointment over the Maldivian Government extending the state of emergency by another 30 days and asked President Abdulla Yameen to uphold the rule of law in the troubled Indian Ocean island nation.</span></div>''<div><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;"><br />''</span></div>''<div><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;">Yameen yesterday extended a draconian state of emergency by another month, bolstering his grip on power in the troubled Indian Ocean island nation.&nbsp;</span></div>''<div><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;"><br />''</span></div>''<div><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;">State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said, the US continues to call on President Yameen to end the state of emergency, uphold the rule of law, permit the full and proper functioning of the Parliament and the judiciary, restore constitutionally guaranteed rights of the people of the Maldives, and respect the Maldives' international human rights obligations and commitments.</span></div>''<div><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;"><br />''</span></div>''<div><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;">Yameen earlier this month had declared a 15-day state of emergency curtailing the powers of the judiciary and the legislature after the country's Supreme Court ordered the release of a group of Opposition leaders, who had been convicted in widely criticised trials.</span></div>''<div><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;"><br />''</span></div>''<div><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;">The Maldives' Parliament yesterday extended the state of emergency by approving Yameen's recommendation. The state of emergency will now end on the 22nd of next month.</span></div>