Opposition party MDP has called for disclosure of the information of international lawyers who advised the government that former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's administration acted irresponsibly in ITLOS in the case filed by Mauritius against the Maldives at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).

In a press release issued on Wednesday night, MDP stated that the Attorney General's Office had stated that the Solih administration acted in a "very irresponsible manner" during the initial stages of the case and that it had not taken many defenses in the case, but after receiving the notice, the government had formed a team of relevant international experts.

MDP said that a team consisting of international lawyers, hydrography and geology experts has been appointed to represent the Maldives in the investigation process. The then government submitted documents to ITLOS in order to provide the maldives with the largest territory and to protect the country's highest interests.

"There is no reason for the current government to say the Maldives acted irresponsibly in ITLOS. We do not know the experts who have advised the current government as such. Nothing has been revealed to the public except for a statement in the local language issued politically. We call upon the government to disclose the information of the experts who advised the government and the document prepared by them to the public without any delay," the party said in a statement.

MDP said that lead counsel Professor Payam Ahawan, who was appointed to represent the Maldives in the case by the President Solih's administration, is a Harvard University alumni and professor of international law. Prof. John Mark Tuvenan is a professor of international law, secretary general of the Hague Academy of International Law, the party said in a statement.

MDP said Dr. Naomi Hart and Amy Sander were lawyers who had studied at Cambridge University and worked in the UK. John Brown, who was appointed as technical advisers in the case, was a law of the sea expert and Dr. Elaine Murphy was an expert in geology.

"These two lawyers have said, (Dr. Naomi Hart and Amy Sander) also represented the Country in defense of Palestine at the International Court of Justice on February 26, 2024." MDP said.

"Dr. Elaine Murphy was also involved in preparing the submission submitted by the Maldives to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf in 2010. Those who are part of our team have been actively involved in representing and advising countries in international courts and tribunals on many such cases and are already active," the statement said.

While the roadmap for the first 14 weeks of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu's presidency includes the appeal of ITLOS' decision, it is not clear whether the AG's office's press statement after the completion of those 14 weeks will appeal the case or not.

Article 296 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), an international maritime law, states that a decision made by a court or tribunal empowered under the treaty is binding on the countries involved in the case. MDP said the Solih government has always maintained that the Maldives is obliged to abide by the decision.

The Maldives participated in UNCLOS on September 7, 2000. MDP said that since the Maldives has participated in the treaty, it is incumbent on the state to abide by the treaty.