Malaysian prosecutors appeal Anwar sodomy acquittal

Malaysian prosecutors on Friday filed a notice of appeal against the acquittal of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on sodomy charges, sending the long-running divisive case back to court.

Anwar was cleared earlier this month of charges he had sex with a young male former aide, ending a two-year trial that shook the conservative Muslim-majority country.

He had slammed the allegations as politically motivated, concocted by Prime Minister Najib Razak's government to stifle his resurgent opposition.

Anwar's lawyer Sankara Nair said he had not yet received the notice of appeal but called it "regrettable and atrocious".

"The trial judge has stated succinctly in his verdict that the crucial evidence was 'tampered'," he said in a statement.

"It appears to be a case of political persecution of Anwar and not prosecution," he added, calling the appeal a "desperate act".

Sankara said an appeals court was now expected to hear the case although no date has yet been set.

The attorney general's chambers said prosecutors had decided to file the notice of appeal based on an evaluation of the available evidence.

"The attorney general's chambers wishes to emphasise that in making any decision, the department acts solely on the evidence and in accordance with the law, not influenced by any emotion or parties," it said.

Anwar, 64, was charged in 2008, months after his opposition scored unprecedented gains in general elections against the Barisan Nasional coalition, which has ruled the country for over five decades.

Kuala Lumpur High Court Judge Mohamad Zabidin Diah cleared Anwar on January 9, saying DNA evidence submitted by the prosecution in the case was unreliable.

Sodomy is punishable by up to 20 years in jail.

Anwar's accuser, Mohamad Saiful Bukhari Azlan, 26, said he was "grateful" for the appeal.

"I will continue to pray... and be patient," he said in his blog.

Anwar, a former deputy prime minister, was convicted and jailed on sodomy and corruption charges more than a decade ago after he had a fallout with his then boss, former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad.

He was freed in 2004 when the sodomy conviction was overturned after spending six years in jail, and went on to lead a three-party opposition to the 2008 electoral gains. He has denied all charges.

Also on Friday, a Malaysian appeals court overturned the acquittal on a charge of sedition of prominent opposition lawmaker and lawyer Karpal Singh, who represented Anwar in the sodomy trial.

The high court cleared Karpal in 2010 of the sedition charge for criticising a royal state sultan, a crime punishable by up to three years in jail.

Fadiah Nadwa Fikri, a spokeswoman for local activist group Lawyers for Liberty, criticised the appeals court's ruling as "one step backward", calling the sedition act "a tool of oppression".

Prime Minister Najib has promised to grant greater civil liberties and review several other security laws criticised as oppressive in a move to claw back support from voters.

But opposition leaders and activists have questioned his sincerity, dismissing his promises as election ploys ahead of polls widely expected to be held this year.