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Malaysian opposition leader accused of sodomy
"Anwar Ibrahim, the Malaysian opposition leader, has filed a lawsuit against the government to counter allegations that he sexually assaulted one of his male aides.
"Anwar, a former deputy prime minister, filed the defamation suit in Kuala Lumpur through his lawyers on Monday.
"The legal action is to clear Anwar's name amid a scandal that could tarnish his political aspirations of becoming prime minister [...] On Saturday a 23-year-old male aide filed a police complaint accusing Anwar of sodomising him.
"Anwar, rejecting the sodomy accusation as "a complete fabrication", had taken refuge in the Turkish embassy in Kuala Lumpur, claiming his safety was in danger and accusing the government of trying to thwart his rising political clout.
"He left the embassy on Monday after insisting the government must guarantee his safety. [...]
"Sodomy is outlawed in Malaysia and carries a maximum 20 years jail sentence. [...]"
Source: Al-Jazeera (Qatar), June 30, 2008
Posted at: 2008-06-30
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