International and local human rights activists have strongly condemned the Court of Appeal's decision to convict Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on the Sodomy II charge and jailing him for five years.

“The endless judicial persecution of Anwar is an intolerable blot on the Malaysian judiciary,” International Federation of Human Rights president Karim Lahidji said today.

“Yesterday's shocking conviction of Anwar is the latest chapter of the ruling coalition’s political vendetta against, him which has been going on for more than 15 years," Karim added in a joint statement with Malaysian-based human rights NGO Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram).

The Court of Appeal in Putrajaya yesterday evening overturned the High Court’s acquittal of Anwar on the Sodomy II charge in 2012 and sentenced him to five years in prison.

Homosexuality is illegal in Malaysia.

However, Anwar was granted a stay of execution of the sentence and was released on bail on RM10,000 pending his appeal to the Federal Court.

He was found guilty of sodomising his former aide, Saiful Bukhari Azlan on June, 26, 2008.

'A new low for Malaysian justice'

“Yesterday’s verdict is a new low for Malaysian justice. The manner in which the trial was rushed into and the sentencing expedited were designed to remove Anwar from Malaysia’s political scene and confirm public speculation that the trial is politically motivated,” Suaram executive director Yap Swee Seng said.

If the Federal Court upholds today's decision, Anwar will lose his post as Permatang Pauh MP, and after serving his five-year jail term, he will not be able to contest the 14th general election, which will be due in 2018.

Karim and Yap urged the Malaysian government to respect international standards guaranteeing fair trial, including the right to be heard by a competent, independent and impartial tribunal, as prescribed by Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Meanwhile, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) condemned the use of the colonial-era Article 377B of the Penal Code, which prohibits consensual same-sex sexual conduct, to punish Anwar.

According to ICJ, the law conflicts with international standards regarding respect for the right to privacy.

Kuala Lumpur based Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) said Shafee Abdullah's appointment as lead prosecutor despite his alleged Umno links "smacks of desperation and sets a bad precedent" on the part of the ruling party.

"It is sending the wrong message that the authorities will go to extraordinary lengths to secure the conviction of Umno’s political adversaries," LFL said.