[Read our earlier coverage of the Federal Court verdict here .]

Sodomy II lead prosecutor Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said that he took "no pleasure" in the Federal Court's decision to convict Anwar Ibrahim as a "young man's life has been wrecked".

"I know that justice has finally been done, so I am professionally satisfied with the result today.

"But it gives me no pleasure - a young man's life has been wrecked, changed forever," he told reporters, referring to Anwar's ex-aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, who was allegedly sodomised by the former in 2008.

Shafee also accused Anwar of undermining the country's reputation with the latter's conduct throughout the seven-year court process.

"Anwar chose to give no more than a statement from the dock. Unlike his victim, he refused cross-examination.

"This was his right under the law, but a right he used to attack the prosecution, the judges and his former colleagues in the government," Shafee added.

He noted that unlike Saiful, Anwar refused to swear on the Quran about his innocence regarding the incident.

He said the only politically motivated element in the case had been the actions of Anwar and his supporters, who wanted the case to be dropped.

Shafee pointed out that this was not a story about politics, but a "human story".

"This is a story about all men - regardless of their power - being equal before the law," he emphasised.