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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release August 9, 2000

STATEMENT BY THE VICE PRESIDENT

I am deeply disturbed by the verdicts handed down in Malaysia in the case of Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his adopted brother. The show trial the two men were forced to endure mocked international standards of justice. Police coaching of the key prosecution witness, efforts to intimidate Anwar's lawyers, and the refusal to permit the defense to call crucial witnesses to testify tainted the proceedings.

These verdicts are politically-motivated and designed to remove Anwar from the political arena indefinitely. They do nothing to allay international concerns about the independence of the Malaysian judicial system. In the interest of justice and fairness, I hope that the appeals process will overturn these verdicts.

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