File photo of Mohamed Nasheed - Agencies

A criminal court in the Maldives has issued an arrest order for former president Mohamed Nasheed and his former defence minister, party officials told AFP on Thursday.

"The court has given the order to arrest Nasheed and the (former) defence minister," Adam Gafoor, a senior figure in Nasheed's Maldivian Democratic Party, told AFP.

A second party source confirmed the news, but new Maldives police chief Abdulla Riyas said he had no knowledge of the order.

"I am not aware of it," he said.