Kuala Lumpur (dpa) – A Malaysian court on Monday acquitted opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim of sodomy in an unexpected verdict that took the nation by surprise. The Kuala Lumpur High Court said it did not find enough evidence to convict Anwar of the charge, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. If found guilty, Anwar would have been barred from politics for up to five years as general elections were expected to be called as early as the first half of this year. It took only three minutes for High Court Judge Mohamad Zabidin to read his decision after court proceedings took two years to complete. The case started in 2008 when former aide Saiful Bukhari Azlan filed a case against Anwar for allegedly forcing him to have sex in a condominium in the suburbs of Kuala Lumpur. Among the evidence presented were a tube of lubricant and underwear belonging to Saiful. But the judge said there was no evidence to back Saiful's testimony. Thousands of Anwar supporters gathered in front of the court broke into cheers on hearing the verdict. “This is a good day for Malaysia,” said a student who only identified herself as Nur. “We need to keep fighting for reforms. We need to win the next elections.” Johann Tan, executive director of the local human rights group Pusat Komas, said the decision surprised the whole country, which was expecting a guilty verdict because many Malaysians believed the judiciary is controlled by the government, which Anwar wants to replace. Anwar himself called the charge politically motivated. “The decision is very refreshing, very encouraging,” Tan said. “It is a boost to all of us, not only for those in the government or the opposition but also to the civil society and the Malaysian people as a whole.” BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/V0omF Tags: Anwar Ibrahim, featured, Malaysia, Trial Section: East Asia, Latest News
