Malaysia's Anwar Found Guilty of Sodomy

K U A L A  L U M P U R, Malaysia, Aug. 8 -- A former Malaysian deputy prime minister was convicted of sodomy, a widely expected verdict that ended Anwar Ibrahim’s two-year battle against what he has called a political conspiracy against him.

High Court Judge Ariffin Jaka announced his ruling today in a packedcourtroom. Lawyers for both sides went immediately into sentencinghearings.

Anwar had predicted a guilty verdict as he was led into thecourt, but veered between calm acceptance and outrage after thesentence was read.

“You have to be realistic,” Anwar said to reporters whilehugging his wife, Azizah Ismail. “Bloody, rotten judiciary!”

Then he shouted, “Sick!” and threw up his hands up infrustration before storming away from the public gallery to consultwith his lawyers, who said they would appeal.

Yearlong Trial

Tuesday’s judgment ends a yearlong trial, the second for Anwarsince he was fired by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in 1998. Ithas raised concerns about the fairness of Malaysia’s judiciary, thecountry’s overall human rights record and Mahathir’s determinationto continue his 19-year rule, the longest in Asia.

Anwar and his allies have said the prosecution was stage-managedto eliminate his challenge and crush his movement for more liberalpolitics in the predominantly Muslim Southeast Asian nation.

Judge Ariffin, who had maintained that he would render a verdictbased on the facts, not politics, read from a prepared statementand systematically rejected Anwar’s claims of conspiracy.

Ariffin also found Anwar’s codefendant and adopted brother,Sukma Dermawan, guilty and described the testimony of their formerfamily driver and accuser, Azizan Abu Bakar, as unimpeachable.

“I’m satisfied that the prosecution has proved its case beyondreasonable doubt. I therefore find both the accused guilty as perthe charge,” Ariffin said.

During the case, Azizan twice changed the dates that he said hehad been sodomized and was painted by the defense as an opportunistwho lied for money.