Malaysia's Anwar refused bail - BBC News

Malaysia's court of appeal has refused to grant bail to jailed former Deputy Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim.

Anwar reacted in court by shouting that the judges were "spineless".

He had asked to be freed from prison pending an appeal against a conviction for sodomy so he could travel abroad for medical treatment.

His appeal was being watched for signs of a new approach to the case, now the country's new Prime Minister, Abdullah Badawi, has taken office.

"We are unanimous in our conclusion that the first applicant (Anwar) had failed to demonstrate reasonably to our satisfaction that his case is within the category of 'special or exceptional circumstances' which warrants his release on bail pending appeal," the panel of appeal court judges said in a written judgement after the hearing.

The court also ruled that it does not have the power to review its decision last year to reject his appeal against Anwar's conviction for sodomy.

[More at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3415715.stm]