Anwar Ibrahim Malaysia’s highest court has upheld the conviction of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on a charge of sodomy. The 67-year-old was acquitted of the charge in 2012, but the government successfully appealed and he was sentenced to five years in prison. The Federal Court has this week rejected an appeal of the conviction and sentence, which was sparked by a complaint about consensual sex with a political aide. Human Rights Watch says the conviction is politically-motivated, under an abusive and archaic law, and a major setback for human rights in Malaysia. “Prime Minister Najib Razak’s government has persisted in its politically motivated prosecution of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim at the expense of democratic freedoms and the rights to non-discrimination and privacy for all Malaysians,” says Phil Robertson, the group’s deputy Asia director. “Allowing this travesty of justice to stand will further undermine respect for rights and democracy in Malaysia.” The decision of the Federal Court strips Anwar of his seat in the federal Parliament, where he leads the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 12th February 2015 - 2:22pm