A Malaysian court has sentenced opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to five years in jail after overturning his acquittal on sodomy charges.
Mr Anwar led the opposition to its strongest ever performance in the May 2013 general elections.
Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and his wife Wan Azizah arriving at the court of appeal in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: AFP
While homosexual acts are illegal in Muslim-majority Malaysia, very few people are ever prosecuted.
Mr Anwar has always maintained the charges were part of a political smear campaign.
The court decision will affect his plans to compete in a key by-election in the state of Selangor this month, the BBC reports. A victory for Mr Anwar would have allowed him to become Selangor's chief minister.
The court said he could remain free on bail while he appeals against the verdict to the country's highest court.
Lawyers for Mr Ibrahim say the overturning of his acquittal is politically motivated and they will ask for a stay of the jail sentence.
