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Malaysia court upholds Anwar Ibrahim sodomy conviction | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Malaysia's top court has upheld opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's conviction for sodomy. | |
Mr Anwar was accused of having sex with a male aide in 2008. Sodomy is illegal in Muslim-majority Malaysia, but very few people are ever prosecuted. | Mr Anwar was accused of having sex with a male aide in 2008. Sodomy is illegal in Muslim-majority Malaysia, but very few people are ever prosecuted. |
The popular politician was sentenced to five years in jail in March 2014 after an earlier acquittal was overturned - a ruling against which he appealed. | |
He says the case is a bid by the ruling coalition to block him from politics. | He says the case is a bid by the ruling coalition to block him from politics. |
Mr Anwar - who heads a three-party alliance - is widely seen as the only man who can break the governing coalition's dominance, correspondents say. | Mr Anwar - who heads a three-party alliance - is widely seen as the only man who can break the governing coalition's dominance, correspondents say. |
The Barisan Nasional has been in power since 1957, but suffered its worst-ever result in the most recent elections in May 2013. | The Barisan Nasional has been in power since 1957, but suffered its worst-ever result in the most recent elections in May 2013. |
'Political decision' | |
Ahead of the verdict, Mr Anwar, 67, said there was "no reason whatsoever for them to ever consider putting me to jail". | |
"I am innocent," he said. "Now in the event there's a political decision to put me in jail, I understand the system, I've served time in prison... But then this is a price I have to pay." | "I am innocent," he said. "Now in the event there's a political decision to put me in jail, I understand the system, I've served time in prison... But then this is a price I have to pay." |
In 2008, Mr Anwar was accused of having sex with a male political aide. He was cleared by a High Court of the charges in 2012 because of a lack of evidence. | In 2008, Mr Anwar was accused of having sex with a male political aide. He was cleared by a High Court of the charges in 2012 because of a lack of evidence. |
The government then appealed against his acquittal and it was overturned by the court. It is Mr Anwar's appeal against this ruling that has now been rejected. | |
This is the opposition leader's second sodomy conviction since he was sacked from the Barisan Nasional government in 1998. His previous conviction, from 2000, was overturned. | |
Human Rights Watch condemned what it described as the "selective persecution" of Mr Anwar. | Human Rights Watch condemned what it described as the "selective persecution" of Mr Anwar. |
"PM Najib's government wants to push him off the political process," Reuters news agency quoted Phil Robertson, the group's deputy director for Asia, as saying. | "PM Najib's government wants to push him off the political process," Reuters news agency quoted Phil Robertson, the group's deputy director for Asia, as saying. |
Timeline: Anwar Ibrahim | Timeline: Anwar Ibrahim |