A suspended Nauru politician says he wants Australia to take notice of what is happening in his country, amid reports more arrest warrants are being drawn up for opposition MPs who attended a recent protest.
Squire Jeremiah - who was arrested on Friday - says people are living in fear and he believes Nauru's police are acting outside the law and on the orders of the government.
"We are living in great fear right now," he told AAP.
"This is new to Nauru. We fear what's going to happen, I just don't know.
"Police are acting not within the law of this country but they are acting on the instructions of the government."
Shortly after Mr Jeremiah spoke with AAP he was arrested.
"He has been charged with several things," his wife Christine said when AAP attempted to speak to him again.
The charges included rioting and disturbing the neighbourhood, she said.
Mr Jeremiah awoke on Friday to a tip off warrants were being drawn up for him and former president and opposition colleague Sprent Dabwido following their participation in protests at parliament on Tuesday.
Authorities have called it a riot because windows were smashed. They also say police were pelted with rocks.
The pair are among a group of five MPs suspended from parliament last year.
President Baron Waqa's government has taken an increasingly hard line in response to dissent in recent months, and on Tuesday former foreign minister Mathew Batsiua was arrested while he attended the protest.
He has since been released under reportedly strict bail conditions.
Canberra has taken a vital, leading role on good governance, leadership and the rule of law in the Pacific region Mr Jeremiah said.
"But today we are very disappointed that they are very quiet, they are very quiet right now," he said.
"We are hoping that Australia will listen to what is happening in the country."
The protesters were demanding President Waqa provide an explanation over recent corruption allegations against him and members of his government.
Another suspended MP, Roland Kun, had his passport cancelled without explanation after he was taken off a Nauru flight bound for New Zealand via Australia on Wednesday.
Mr Kun said he was not involved in the protest. His family moved to NZ last year after his wife, Katy Le Roy, was deported from Nauru after criticising the government.
