Fairfax Sunday newspapers’ decision this past weekend to publish references to US diplomatic cables (provided to them by Wikileaks) that speculated about the views of intelligence services about the veracity of “sodomy†charges against Malaysian democracy campaigner Anwar Ibrahim could land him back in jail, his legal has warned today.
He is currently being tried in Malaysia on what are well-known internationally as trumped-up charges that he engaged in “sodomyâ€, a serious crime in the Muslim state. If convicted, as is widely presumed will occur regardless of the evidence and aided by Fairfax’s publication, Anwar could serve 20 years in prison.
Malaysian government-friendly newspapers swept on the Wikileaks/Sunday Age claims and repeated these views as fact. They directly quote the Fairfax press.
"Clearly it’s a case of sub-judice, it’s hearsay and conjecture, intelligence reports are not based on facts generally, they are based on rumours and I have served in the security services before so I know that the last thing you do is to trust such a report," said Nair.
"The judge must call up the newspapers and ask them to explain why they wrote the piece and to show their proof. If they can’t do this then they will be cited for contempt," he added.
"If this is not sinister then it is totally unethical reporting. I have advised my client to file a lawsuit against these papers as well."
While his lawyers express outrage and demand justice, the Malaysian system seems to offer very little of it.
When – it’s not if – Anwar is convicted once again, Fairfax senior figures like the Sunday Age’s editor Gay Alcorn will have a lot of explaining to do.
VEXNEWS (Archive) 
The Editor of the Age should be extradited to Malaysia to face charges.
We should just dispense of the cost of a trail and move straight to the verdict and punishment. The elite and media can determine the guilt of anyone based on what ever evidence they deem to be news worthy. Even ABC Jon Faine is guilty of trail by media. Seriously the media is very much pervasive and at times offensive. What business it it of the media to report on Shane warns love life. They are adults and they have not broken any laws.
I am also appalled at the treatment of Assange. What law has he broken that warrants his detainment? He has not even been charged with an offence. His crime is a broken condom whilst having sex? Or screwing without a safety belt. Oh come now this is a beat up if ever I have saw one. Remember the rape allegation of the Victorian Member of parliament. Another miscarriage of justice. This very much stinks of political persecution. I am shamed by the comments made by Julia Gillard assuming his guilt. She should know better as an ex partner of Slater and Gordon. I hate to think how little Australia cares about its citizens that they act in this fashion. Australia should condom Assange detention and request that he be released on home detention or on undertaking to report daily to the authorities.
Thanks for reminding me why I don’t buy Fairfax newspapers.
Poor Anwar.
He is charged with rape and based on the allegations against him, it is not unreasonable for Sweden to apply for him to be extradited to allow them to question him with a view to determining if a case exists. Stop reading the nonsense that his lawyers and supporters are saying he is charged with and look up the actual allegations. As has been noted elsewhere, if such allegations were made against him in his home state (Qld), he would face charges there.
It is remarkable how fast the left has thrown the once sacred idea that No means No out the window when it is one of their favoured sons involved…
http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/weblog.html
Craig Murray’s Weblog
7Dec2010
Ludicrous Attack on Assange
The decision to put Julian Assange in a cell over ludicrous sexual offence allegations is a politically motivated act that must be resisted. Assange has never been in hiding from the police, and there is no reason at all to believe he would abscond if granted bail.
This is kompromat – the use of sexual allegations to denigrate a person perceived as a threat to the state. They did it to Charles Parnell and Roger Casement and, a lowlier case, to me. This is an article I wrote on August 25:
The Russians call it Kompromat – the use by the state of sexual accusations to destroy a public figure. When I was attacked in this way by the government I worked for, Uzbek dissidents smiled at me, shook their heads and said “Kompromat”. They were used to it from the Soviet and Uzbek governments. They found it rather amusing to find that Western governments did it too.
Well, Julian Assange has been getting the bog standard Kompromat. I had imagined he would get something rather more spectacular, like being framed for murder and found hanging with an orange in his mouth. He deserves a better class of kompromat. If I am a whistleblower, then Julian is a veritable mighty pipe organ. Yet we just have the normal sex stuff, and very weak.
Bizarrely the offence for which Julian is wanted for questioning in Sweden was dropped from rape to sexual harassment, and then from sexual harassment to just harassment.
Thank God sodomy isn’t a crime here, I’d get 20-to-life.
What? Wikileaks has confirmed Anwar’s sodomy? Were there polaroids? Interviews with the chauffeur? Diplomatic FIELD TRIPS?
???
Oh vexnews, vexnews, you are my secret vice, but don’t you think that you should try and get out a little bit more?
the left and Gay Alcorn in particular have blood on their hands. they are always the best friends of extremists. thank god most of us don’t live in their putrid moral universe where your journalism career is more important than the cause of freedom!
I would not describe Anwar as a freedom fighter. He was a central part of a corrupt incumbent government at one stage. Anwar now presides over a corrupt opposition party and where they hold office in state governments they are as guilty of corruption as anyone. Most of those initially attracted to his calls for democracy in Malaysia have now left the party in disgust. Anwar’s goal is only a quest for democracy in as much as it is a quest for power.
Anwar’s homosexual orientation is well known in Malaysia, only debatable is that this should be allowed to impact his ability to run for office. Obviously in Malaysia it does matter, for the rest of us we believe this is should have no bearing.
To understand Alcorn understand just one thing: She is Margo Kingston’s sister.
redfrogs …. only interested in democracy as a vehicle for personal power, hey? I suppose that’s what racist Afrikaners said about Mandela and what the communists said about Lech Walensa … you really are loathsome toad.
Amazed, I can assure you that Anwar is no Nelson Mandela. He did not rise from a platform of freedom or overcome adversity in the same way. He was a privileged and popular member of Umno. He was deputy to Mahatir and prosecuted for homosexuality the first time around when he challenged his boss in a power grab for the top job. This was a charge of convenience for Mahatir who was ruthless in his stranglehold on Malaysian politics.
My point is that Anwar is not a freedom fighter championing the cause of democracy because it benefits the people. The disappointment of many Malaysians is real. He was the biggest hope for progress and truth in decades. The truth unfortunately is that Anwar is guilty of the same type of cronyism and what is called “money politics” in Malaysia. Where PKR hold power in Selangor the are running amok as much as their predecessors ever did – they will not get a 2nd term.
For the record I do not think he should have previously or currently be tried for sodomy. It is nobody’s business.
dear redfrogs
I assure you that Anwar was never involved in terrorist activities which Mandela admits too. Anwar, poltically persecuted, is one of the good guys in our region and his leadership would have been a blow for a more liberal and outward looking Malaysia. The Age had no good ethical reason for disclosing the unhelpful views of imperfectly informed diplomats. Your point is null and void!
Hi Amazed,
This brand of being one of the “good guys” is something Anwar has successfully cultivated in the West but I don’t think that is actually the case on the ground. Anwar’s opposition is a coalition of parties, including the ultra-islamic party Parti Islam Semalaysia (PAS). PAS’ platform is that they want to officially make Malaysia an Islamic state. These are the conservatives who protest everytime an entertainer such as Beyonce wants to perform, they want Shariah law to be universal and (most alarmingly) to introduce blanket bans on alcohol. It’s hard to reconcile the concept of Malaysia being more liberal and outward looking with PAS as a key component of the coalition.
You wont catch me defending the Age (heaven forbid). But my original point stands – Anwar is not a Freedom Fighter, he is motivated by self interest.
There are true heroes in Malaysia (e.g. Raja Petra) who are speaking out and unfortunately we have to look long and hard to find more.
What pray tell is a gay acorn? I am something of an ‘icon’ in my lounge room, but now I aspire to be an acorn. do I need to consult a GP?
Youtube David Frost interviews Julian Assange
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