Jailed ex-deputy leader Anwar Ibrahim yesterday demanded that two of three judges assigned to hear his final appeal against a sodomy conviction step down from the case because they had shown bias against him or were too inexperienced.
The demand delayed the start of the appeal, Anwar's final chance at winning his freedom in a court battle that is now in its sixth year.
Anwar maintains the sodomy case was fabricated by political enemies shortly after his 1998 ouster as deputy prime minister to prevent him from challenging then-leader Mahathir Mohamad -- a charge the government denied although the US consider Anwar a political prisoner.
Anwar was arrested after Mahathir released lurid details of alleged homosexual trysts between Anwar and his driver. Anwar was convicted at separate trials for corruption and sodomy -- a crime in mostly Muslim Malaysia -- and sentenced to a total of 15 years in prison. He has served the corruption sentence.
Anwar yesterday joked with supporters and chatted with his wife, opposition leader Azizah Ismail, before telling reporters he expected to lose the appeal because the judges would not give him a fair hearing.
"This is a facade of judicial independence," Anwar said. "It's a forgone conclusion. You can see it in the demeanor of the judges."
The three-judge panel in the Federal Court is deciding whether Anwar's sodomy trial was flawed -- as many rights groups and international observers believe. Anwar is also asking to be released on bail while the hearing proceeds.
Gaza is rapidly running out of its limited fuel supply and stocks of food staples might become tight, officials said, after Israel blocked the entry of fuel and goods into the war-shattered territory, citing fighting with Iran. The Israeli military closed all Gaza border crossings on Saturday after announcing airstrikes on Iran carried out jointly with the US. Israeli authorities late on Monday night said that they would reopen the Kerem Shalom crossing from Israel to Gaza yesterday, for “gradual entry of humanitarian aid” into the strip, without saying how much. Israeli authorities previously said the crossings could not be operated safely during
Hungarian authorities temporarily detained seven Ukrainian citizens and seized two armored cars carrying tens of millions of euros in cash across Hungary on suspicion of money laundering, officials said on Friday. The Ukrainians were released on Friday, following their detention on Thursday, but Hungarian officials held onto the cash, prompting Ukraine to accuse Hungary’s Russia-friendly government of illegally seizing the money. “We will not tolerate this state banditism,” Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha said. The seven detained Ukrainians were employees of the Ukrainian state-owned Oschadbank, who were traveling in the two armored cars that were carrying the money between Austria and
Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani on Friday after dissolving the Kosovar parliament said a snap election should be held as soon as possible to avoid another prolonged political crisis in the Balkan country at a time of global turmoil. Osmani said it is important for Kosovo to wrap up the upcoming election process and form functional institutions for political stability as the war rages in the Middle East. “Precisely because the geopolitical situation is that complex, it is important to finish this electoral process which is coming up,” she said. “It is very hard now to imagine what will happen next.” Kosovo, which declared
Counting was under way in Nepal yesterday, after a high-stakes parliamentary election to reshape the country’s leadership following protests last year that toppled the government. Key figures vying for power include former Nepalese prime minister K. P. Sharma Oli, rapper-turned-mayor Balendra Shah, who is bidding for the youth vote, and newly elected Nepali Congress party leader Gagan Thapa. In Kathmandu’s tea shops and city squares, people were glued to their phones, checking results as early trends flashed up — suggesting Shah’s centrist Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) was ahead. Nepalese Election Commission spokesman Prakash Nyupane said the counting was ongoing “in a peaceful manner”
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