Anwar in court for 'final appeal'

Anwar is widely viewed outside Malaysia as a political prisoner

Former Malaysian deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has returned to court for what his lawyers say is his last chance to overturn his conviction for sodomy.

During the hearing, he shouted abuse at two of the judges, after failing to get them removed from his case.

"I see no point in proceeding if this will be a foregone conclusion. This is a facade of a fair trial," he said.

Mr Anwar was arrested in 1998 after leading anti-government protests. He was later jailed for 15 years.

He claims the trial was politically motivated, and denies all the charges against him.

Human rights groups say the hearing will test the new prime minister's commitment to an independent judiciary.

Last chance

Monday's appeal was to the federal court - the highest in Malaysia.

It has already rejected Mr Anwar's attempt to overturn his conviction for abuse of power.

The entire independence and impartiality of the judiciary is at stake Cynthia Gabriel Human rights advocate

If it rebuffs this latest challenge, against his conviction for sodomy, the former deputy prime minister can expect to spend up to six more years in jail.

During Monday's court hearing, Mr Anwar accused the judges of orchestrating a judicial charade.

He said one judge had made statements prejudicial to his case, and another was too inexperienced.

During an adjournment, he told the BBC that he didn't want to be a hero and spend more time in jail. But he said he believed he had no choice and would continue to fight for justice.

At his initial trial five years ago, it was alleged that Mr Anwar had committed a number of acts of sodomy in 1992 in an apartment building in Kuala Lumpur.

However, the building did not exist at that time.

His defence team will be questioning the trial judge's refusal to allow Mr Anwar to submit a new alibi after prosecutors changed the date of the charge.

Litmus test

The Malaysian government has always maintained that Mr Anwar's trials were fair.

Abdullah has promised to let democracy thrive under his rule

However, human rights groups and foreign governments, including that of the United States, say he is a political prisoner.

Cynthia Gabriel of the Malaysian civil liberties group Suaram says the judiciary will be on trial at the hearing as much as Mr Anwar.

"The entire independence and impartiality of the judiciary is at stake," she said.

"This is the litmus test for the judiciary to prove to the Malaysian people and the international community that it is able to stand on its own and defend the cause of justice."

In his first speech to parliament after coming to power last October, Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi promised to respect the independence of the courts, which were widely seen as having been eroded by his predecessor.

Campaigners say Mr Anwar's fate will be a key test of that commitment but hold out little hope that he will be freed.