The Lawyers Committee for Human Rights praised the American Bar Association for honouring Zainur Zakaria, a prominent Malaysian attorney, with its annual human rights award. The award was announced by the Section of Litigation at the annual meeting of the ABA in Atlanta.

In a letter announcing the award, the ABA recognised Zainur’s "extraordinary contributions to the causes of human rights, the rule of law, and promotion of access to justice." Zainur has been serving on the defence team of Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia’s former Deputy Prime Minister, who was recently convicted of official corruption in a trial that sparked condemnation for unfairness. Anwar is currently being tried on sodomy charges in a second trial that has attracted international attention.

"By issuing this award, U.S. lawyers take notice of the extreme risk lawyers like Zainur face when standing up for fundamental rights and make clear that these are unacceptable conditions for the practice of law," stated Robert O. Weiner, Director of the Lawyers Committee’s Protection Program.

"That recognition and support from the U.S. legal community is essential to the brave advocates who stand up in the face of such risks."

During the first Anwar trial, Zainur was convicted of contempt and sentenced to three months imprisonment after filing a motion accusing prosecutors of attempting to fabricate evidence. Many observers of the trial denounced the contempt charge because the judge offered Zainur no opportunity to prove his contention.

"This case involved the punitive use of the contempt sanction against a lawyer questioning the prosecution’s tactics in a politically charged trial. If Malaysian judges remain hostile to independent lawyers like Zainur, defendants like Anwar will not receive a fair defence," said Weiner.

The award is granted each year by the more than 60,000 trial lawyers, judges, and others that make up the Section of Litigation, the ABA’s largest division.