U.S. "deeply disappointed" by conviction of Malaysian opposition leader

The United States said on Tuesday it is "deeply disappointed" by the decision of Malaysia's highest court to upheld a guilty verdict against opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

"The decision to prosecute Mr. Anwar and the conduct of his trial have raised a number of serious concerns about rule of law and the fairness of the judicial system in Malaysia," Bernadette Meehan, spokesperson for White House's National Security Council, said in a statement.

Malaysia's Federal Court on Tuesday upheld the guilty verdict against Anwar in a sodomy case and maintained a five-year prison sentence imposed by a lower court last year. According to the Malaysian Constitution, the verdict will remove Anwar from his parliament seat.

The U.S. urges the government of Malaysia to apply the rule of law "fairly, transparently, and apolitically in order to promote confidence in Malaysia's democracy, judiciary and economy, Meehan said.

Meehan also expressed U.S. concerns over the Malaysian government's intent to expand its sedition law "to prosecute government critics."

The U.S. and Malaysia have built a strong comprehensive partnership, said Meehan, adding that the two countries remain committed to expanding cooperation on shared economic and security challenges in Asia and globally.

U.S. President Barack Obama visited Malaysia in April last year- - the first sitting American leader to visit the country in nearly 50 years. Endite