Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Anwar Ibrahim was provisionally released this morning, at 9.45 local time, and has left police headquarters.   “Anwar has left the building – confirmed his lawyer – from a secondary exit he got into his wife’s car and has gone home”.

The former deputy prime minister, who is accused of sodomy by a collaborator, has already spent six years in prison; yesterday officers arrested him and took him from his home from prison. He was granted a provisional release this morning, but will have to face charges on August 18th, and is on police bail should further charges be laid.  A police official explained “there is no intention to remand him further. Statements were taken and we will have to decide on next course of action”.

Even if he was detained less than 24 hours, Anwar Ibrahim’s latest arrest has sparked contention across the country: according to Tian Chua, information officer for the People’s Justice Party (the party founded by the opposition leader, ed), this arrest served to “set the stage for a political showdown between the Government and Anwar” and she believes the allegations are a conspiracy “to prevent him and the Opposition from seizing power”. Police have been mobilised on the streets and have had joint exercises with the military, a “serious and meaningful” fact according to the opposition: “all these are signs towards a closing up of the democratic space” concludes Tian Chua.