JURIST - Paper Chase: Malaysian court overturns conviction of former deputy PM

A Malaysian Federal Court panel overturned the sodomy conviction of former Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim Thursday by a vote of 2-1, releasing him from jail after six years of imprisonment. Anwar, who was charged with corruption and sodomy after being fired by then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, has long been regarded by international human rights groups as a political prisoner. Writing for the majority, Judge Abdul Hamid Mohamad said Anwar's conviction was flawed due to conflicts in testimony by the prosecution's chief witness. Read the court's majority opinion and the dissent. AP has more. The Free Anwar Campaign has background on Anwar's trial and appeals of his convictions.