Tuesday August 8 3:29 AM ET
American Group Calls Anwar Verdict Blow to Justice
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (Reuters) - A U.S. human rights group Tuesday condemned a Malaysian court's decision to sentence former finance minister Anwar Ibrahim to nine years in jail for sodomy, calling it a blow to justice.
Australian and New Zealand politicians expressed concerns over the verdict.
High Court Judge Arifin Jaka found Anwar and his adopted brother guilty of sexual misconduct at the end of a 14-month trial that split the country and spurred calls for democratic reform.
``The verdicts are another blow to justice in Malaysia,'' Joe Saunders, deputy Asia director at the New York-based Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.
``If you're out of favor with the political leadership -- no matter how high you might rise in the government -- you have very little protection.
``This is a real step backwards for Malaysia.''
Anwar will start a nine-year prison sentence after he finishes a six-year jail term for corruption which began in April 1999.
Anwar, sacked as finance minister and deputy prime minister in September 1998, had testified that Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and his associates framed him in a sex scandal to drive him from office and stave off a possible leadership challenge.
Mahathir had denied the accusation, saying Anwar was morally unfit to succeed him.
Chandra Muzaffar, deputy president of the opposition Parti Keadilan Nasional (National Justice Party), told reporters after the sentencing: ``I feel sorry for Anwar but I feel even sorrier for the country. I feel sad for the system of justice for this country, what it has come to.''
Arifin told the court that he based his ruling on the weight of evidence presented during the 14-month trial.
But defense lawyer Christopher Fernando said the evidence supported the pleas of innocence by Anwar and Sukma.
``The sentences are grossly excessive and unconscionable,'' Fernando said.
``The fact is he (Arifin) refused to even give a concurrent sentence,'' Fernando said. ``That would have shown magnimity on the part of the judge.''
Australia's Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said he was saddened by the conviction.
``Many people in Australia hold Anwar Ibrahim in very high regard,'' he said through his spokesman.
Australia's opposition foreign affairs spokesman, Laurie Brereton, said he deplored the conviction, especially after legal observers expressed strong reservations about the fairness and independence of the processes in reaching the verdict.
``Friends of Malaysia can only be profoundly saddened by the injustice that has befallen Anwar and by the damage these proceedings have inflicted upon Malaysia's international standing,'' Brereton said in a statement.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Phil Goff said he had passed New Zealand's concerns to the Malaysian government.
``There is...deep concern about the adequacy and fairness of the processes followed in reaching this verdict,'' New Zealand Foreign Minister Phil Goff said.
``Strong reservations have been expressed by reputable agencies such as the International Bar Association, the Center for the Independence of Judges, Lawyers of the International Commission of Jurists and the Commonwealth Lawyers Association.
``These reservations relate to the reliability and admissibility of evidence, constraints placed on the defense and the independence of the judiciary from the executive,'' Goff said.
The British Foreign Office said a statement would be issued by European Union president France.
``We've been in close touch with our EU partners. We've taken every opportunity throughout the case to make our views know to the Malaysians,'' a Foreign Office spokeswoman said.