Anwar Ibrahim is Prime Minister of Malaysia and a former Finance Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, and Opposition Leader. In August 2008, in retaliation for his involvement in opposition politics, fabricated sodomy charges were filed against him. The trial court acquitted him on January 9, 2012, but in March 2014, the Court of Appeal reversed the acquittal and sentenced Anwar to five years in prison. He was arrested on February 10, 2015, when the Federal Court confirmed the conviction and sentence. Notably, he had previously served six years in prison on other politically motivated charges. Anwar was designated as a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International, and the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found his detention to be arbitrary and in violation of international law. He was released from prison on May 16, 2018, after receiving a royal pardon.
Media Release Announcing Malaysia Federal Court Refuses to Hear Evidence of Conspiracy in Political Leader Anwar Ibrahim’s Appeal of his Wrongful Conviction
May 23, 2016