BBC News Online: World: Asia-Pacific

US leads chorus of Anwar anger

He was given a nine-year jail term for sodomy, which he had denied during a 14-month legal battle.

Human rights groups joined the US, Australia and other nations in condemning the verdict and jail term.

US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said the United States was outraged by the length of the sentence, and he questioned the fairness of the trial.

Australia's foreign minister, Alexander Downer, said he was saddened by the conviction of a man many Australians held in high regard.

And New Zealand Foreign Minister Phil Goff said there was "deep concern about the adequacy and fairness of the processes followed in reaching this verdict."

But a government official privately called into question whether Anwar's human rights had been violated.

The United Nations also described the trial as an internal matter, but said it expected Malaysia to address concerns which had been expressed over the trial.

Human rights campaigners reacted with dismay. Human Rights Watch described the verdict as "another blow to justice in Malaysia."

Amnesty International called Anwar a prisoner of conscience, and said he had been put on trial because of the challenge he posed to government leaders.

Within Malaysia, campaigners and opposition leaders also expressed shock and anger at the ruling.

Lim Kit Siang, national chairman of the opposition Democratic Action Party, said: "Today is a sad day, a black day for democracy and justice in Malaysia."

Anwar's wife, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, said her husband would appeal against the sentence, and that the struggle for justice would continue.

Anwar's adopted brother was convicted of the same offence, which is alleged to have involved their family driver.

When Anwar was convicted of the earlier charge, thousands of people clashed with riot police in Malaysia's worst scenes of civil unrest for 30 years.

Some demonstrators - including opposition politicians - were arrested in a protest outside the court on Tuesday, but there were no reports of other disturbances.