A Malaysian court convicted opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim of sodomy on Friday, upholding the government’s appeal of his acquittal two years earlier in a ruling that his supporters said was politically influenced and aimed at ending his career.
The court of appeal ruled that Anwar had anal intercourse with his male aide in 2008, a crime in the Muslim majority country, dismissing his defence team’s argument that DNA evidence had been contaminated.
Anwar’s lawyers are expected to appeal against the ruling at the country’s highest court and win a stay of the sentence, but the judgement could affect Anwar’s plans to run for election in a local state seat this month.
That election could pave the way for him to take charge of Selangor, Malaysia’s richest and most populous state.
