In the Maldives, the verdict sprung by the people draws to a close the island nations flirtation with possible autocracy, but as Democracy returns it faces a complicated geopolitical equation that requires a tightrope walk

In 2008, Maldives national Ali Assham, alleged to have been involved with the Lashkar-e-Taiba network and accused of attacking the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore in 2005, was deported from Sri Lanka to Maldives.