The United States said that the surprise release of ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim from prison was a victory of the judicial process in Malaysia, while Canada's Prime Minister Paul Martin said he was delighted by the news.

Anwar was freed yesterday by Malaysia's highest court on the grounds that his conviction for sodomy was wrong.

In welcoming the court's decision, US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said: "This is a victory for the rule of law and the judicial process in Malaysia."

He said the United States hoped the medical treatment Anwar was planning to undergo in Germany for an acute back injury would restore him to good health.

Boucher explained that the United States had repeatedly emphasised its concerns about what it felt was the unfair jailing of Anwar.

It is believed the US authorities raised the Anwar issue when Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi made his first visit to Washington in July after taking over from Mahathir Mohamad in November.

"This is something we've raised publicly and privately over the years," Boucher said, declining to speculate about the political implications of Anwar's release at this time when Abdullah is at the helm.

Street protests

Anwar, who rose from being an Islamic student activist to the number-two leader, was sacked six years ago by Mahathir, sparking street protests by thousands of his supporters.

He was jailed for a total of 15 years shortly afterwards on corruption and sodomy charges, which he said were trumped up to prevent him from mounting a political challenge to Mahathir.

He had already completed a sentence for corruption and had faced at least another five years in prison until the court decision on yesterday.

Anwar's trials were heavily criticised by human rights and judicial groups, and he was considered a political prisoner by the United States and adopted as a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International.

"We have certainly made clear our view that he should not have been in prison to begin with," Boucher said.

Based on what Anwar had said, his release was not politically influenced, Boucher added.

"What I saw him saying on TV was that he thought that there was a removal of political influence and the court was therefore able to decide on the facts to release him," Boucher said. "But I'll leave that to him."

Canada PM delighted

Meanwhile, Canada's Prime Minister Paul Martin also welcomed the surprise release of Anwar.

"I am very pleased to learn of Anwar's release today. I have followed his plight closely over the past six years from the time that we served our countries as finance ministers and became good friends," Martin said.

"We have consistently urged the Malaysian government to uphold the principle of judicial independence and are pleased that the rule of law has prevailed in the end," Martin said in a statement.

Martin also paid tribute to Anwar's wife Wan Azizah, after her long campaign for her husband's release.