Switzerland to take Anwar conviction to UN Human Rights Council

 Swiss embassy in Kuala Lumpur reminds Malaysian authorities of the importance of the principles of the rule of law and fair trial

BERN, SWITZERLAND. Feb 13, 2015.-  Switzerland will address the conviction of Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim at the next meeting of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, a Swiss government spokesperson said today.

According to a statement by the Swiss Foreign Ministry obtained by the Bruno Manser Fund, the Swiss embassy in Kuala Lumpur reminded the Malaysian authorities that Switzerland lends importance to the respect of the principles of the rule of law and fair trial.

The Swiss Foreign Ministry will also address the Anwar conviction on the occasion of the next round of bilateral political talks with Malaysia planned to be held in Switzerland later this year.

Human rights issues are part of the ongoing free trade talks between Malaysia and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), for which Switzerland is the lead negotiator within EFTA.

The Bruno Manser Fund welcomes the statement by the Swiss authorities and calls on the international community to demand from Malaysia the immediate release of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

Last Monday, Malaysia's highest court upheld a five-year prison sentence for the opposition leader for alleged "sodomy" despite serious flaws in the trial.

Inter alia, it was not made clear in court why the opposition leader's alleged sex partner had met then vice premier Najib Razak and the lead prosecutor in the trial, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, at Malaysian Prime Minister  Najib Razak's house two days before the alleged crime took place.