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New Zealand disappointed by conviction of Malaysian opposition leader

Xinhua, February 11, 2015 Adjust font size:

The New Zealand government Wednesday expressed disappointment at the five-year prison sentence handed down to Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

Foreign Minister Murray McCully said New Zealand shared the disappointment of other members of the international community about jail term, which followed the rejection of an appeal against a sodomy conviction.

"While Mr Anwar has followed every avenue open to him to have his conviction overturned and to avoid imprisonment, the severity of his sentence, coupled with recent prosecutions under the country's Sedition Act, are of concern to New Zealand," McCully said in a statement.

The New Zealand government had followed Anwar's case closely, and a representative from the New Zealand High Commission in Kuala Lumpur was among independent international observers at his appeal hearing in the Federal Court.

"New Zealand and Malaysia have a strong relationship and work closely together in the international arena, where Malaysia is a prominent voice for moderation and tolerance," said McCully.

"In the spirit of promoting human rights and political freedoms we have registered our concerns with the Malaysian government and will continue to do so," McCully added. Endi