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| Anwar sodomy trial finally starts | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has pleaded not guilty at the start of his long-delayed sodomy trial. | |
| Prosecutors say he sodomised a male aide, and they claim that traces of Mr Anwar's DNA were found in medical tests on the man making the allegations. | |
| Mr Anwar has consistently denied the charges, calling them a conspiracy aimed at breaking his increasingly strong political movement. | |
| Homosexual acts are illegal in Malaysia and he faces up to 20 years in prison. | |
| This is not the first time the charismatic opposition leader - who was once the deputy prime minister until his sudden sacking in 1998 - has faced a sodomy claim. | This is not the first time the charismatic opposition leader - who was once the deputy prime minister until his sudden sacking in 1998 - has faced a sodomy claim. |
| He served six years after an earlier conviction, which was subsequently overturned on appeal. After his release he led the opposition to election gains in 2008. | He served six years after an earlier conviction, which was subsequently overturned on appeal. After his release he led the opposition to election gains in 2008. |
| Mr Anwar represents a major challenge to Prime Minister Najib Razak, whose coalition has held power for more than 50 years. |