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| Malaysia’s highest court upholds conviction of opposition leader | Malaysia’s highest court upholds conviction of opposition leader |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Malaysia’s highest court on Tuesday upheld a lower court ruling and sentenced the country’s opposition leader and former deputy prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, to five years in prison for violating the country’s sodomy law. | |
| The ruling, the climax of four different prosecutions over seven years, drew criticism from human rights groups and the Obama administration. | The ruling, the climax of four different prosecutions over seven years, drew criticism from human rights groups and the Obama administration. |
| The court ruling is also an embarrassment for President Obama, who played a round of golf with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak during his Christmas vacation in Hawaii last year. Obama has sought to cultivate stronger relations with Malaysia, which will host the East Asia summit that Obama is expected to attend in November, and to use it as a balance to China’s growing influence. Malaysia is on the United Nations Security Council through 2016. | |
| The U.S. Embassy in Malaysia said it was “deeply disappointed” by the High Court’s ruling. The National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan released a statement saying, “The decision to prosecute Mr. Anwar and the conduct of his trial have raised a number of serious concerns about rule of law and the fairness of the judicial system in Malaysia.” | |
| But it appeared that there would be few consequences for U.S.-Malaysian ties. Meehan said that “the United States and Malaysia have built a strong ‘comprehensive partnership,’ and we remain committed to expanding our cooperation on shared economic and security challenges affecting our countries’ interests in Asia and globally.” | But it appeared that there would be few consequences for U.S.-Malaysian ties. Meehan said that “the United States and Malaysia have built a strong ‘comprehensive partnership,’ and we remain committed to expanding our cooperation on shared economic and security challenges affecting our countries’ interests in Asia and globally.” |
| Human Rights Watch reported that the Malaysian government on Tuesday also arrested a well-known Malaysian cartoonist, Zunar, after he tweeted: “The lackeys in black robes are proud about their sentence. The reward from political masters must be plenty.” | Human Rights Watch reported that the Malaysian government on Tuesday also arrested a well-known Malaysian cartoonist, Zunar, after he tweeted: “The lackeys in black robes are proud about their sentence. The reward from political masters must be plenty.” |
| The ruling party, Barisan Nasional, has governed Malaysia since the country achieved independence from British rule in 1957. But the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections, a group of nongovernmental organizations with the goal of reforming Malaysia’s electoral system, has charged that the party has used widespread voter fraud to keep its hold on power. | The ruling party, Barisan Nasional, has governed Malaysia since the country achieved independence from British rule in 1957. But the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections, a group of nongovernmental organizations with the goal of reforming Malaysia’s electoral system, has charged that the party has used widespread voter fraud to keep its hold on power. |
| “Najib had the capacity to stop this from happening. The judiciary in Malaysia is not independent — the State Department has said as much in its own country reports,” said John Sifton, Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. Does “the administration’s desire for a closer relationship with Malaysia mean they’re simply going to make a statement of concern but then move along, business as usual?” | “Najib had the capacity to stop this from happening. The judiciary in Malaysia is not independent — the State Department has said as much in its own country reports,” said John Sifton, Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. Does “the administration’s desire for a closer relationship with Malaysia mean they’re simply going to make a statement of concern but then move along, business as usual?” |
| The U.S. Embassy in Malaysia said it has raised Anwar’s case in the past in the context of what it called “a strong partnership” between the two nations. | The U.S. Embassy in Malaysia said it has raised Anwar’s case in the past in the context of what it called “a strong partnership” between the two nations. |
| “We have regularly raised our serious concerns regarding the Anwar case with Malaysian officials and emphasized that fairness, transparency, and the rule of law are essential to promote confidence in Malaysia’s judicial system and democracy,” the embassy said in a statement. | “We have regularly raised our serious concerns regarding the Anwar case with Malaysian officials and emphasized that fairness, transparency, and the rule of law are essential to promote confidence in Malaysia’s judicial system and democracy,” the embassy said in a statement. |
| Obama’s national security adviser, Susan E. Rice, met with Malaysian opposition leaders in April 2014. | |
| Anwar was a leading figure in Malaysia’s ruling party during the 1990s and served as deputy prime minister before he had a falling-out with then-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. On July 16, 2008, based on a complaint by a political aide, Anwar was charged with having consensual sex with him, a crime under a rarely used portion of the Malaysian penal code. | |
| The country’s High Court acquitted Anwar on Jan. 9, 2012, because of weak evidence. But the government appealed and, on March 7, 2014, the Court of Appeal overturned the acquittal and sentenced Anwar to five years in prison. | |
| The next day a Malaysian Airlines flight bound for Beijing disappeared with 239 people on board, overshadowing the news about Anwar. | |
| Anwar’s conviction disqualified him from running in a state assembly election in Selangor, on March 23. If Anwar had run and won the seat, he would have been eligible to seek the position of chief minister of Selangor, a development feared by the Barisan Nasional. | |
| “I will walk again for the third time into prison but rest assured that I will walk in with my head held high,” Anwar said in a statement he read out in court on Tuesday, according to Reuters. “I maintain my innocence.” | “I will walk again for the third time into prison but rest assured that I will walk in with my head held high,” Anwar said in a statement he read out in court on Tuesday, according to Reuters. “I maintain my innocence.” |