Malaysia: Anwar loses bid to dismiss sodomy charge

Malaysia's Court of Appeal has refused to throw out a sodomy charge against opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

Anwar could be jailed for up to 20 years if he is convicted of sodomizing a 24-year-old male former aide.

His trial began at the Kuala Lumpur High Court earlier this month with testimony from his accuser, who claimed Anwar had anal sex with him in 2008.

The court refused Anwar's request for the trial to be abandoned before it even began. Anwar's lawyers insisted the case was a sham orchestrated by the government.

A three-judge panel in the Court of Appeal on Wednesday upheld the High Court's decision to retain the charge.