KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 25 — The police crackdown on support for the jailed Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and dissent over the court decision that is the subject of a nationwide roadshow by the lead prosecutor support the claim that the opposition leader’s trial was politically driven, said his family.

Nurul Nuha Anwar said the arrests of people organising peaceful rallies showing solidarity with her father as well as those who critical of the Federal Court’s ruling that the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) is “desperate” and resorting to any means necessary to persecute Anwar and those who support him.

“What has been happening, the arrests, there must be an end to these draconian laws.

“We even have the Inspector-General of Police on Twitter threatening to take action against people. Just a few days ago, Parti Sosialis Malaysia secretary-general S. Arutchelvan was arrested,” she told Malay Mail Online in an interview on Monday, referring to Arutchelvan’s arrest for commenting on Anwar’s federal court sodomy decision.

“The Barisan Nasional regime is feeling threatened, they are clamping down on people, including those using social media as a platform to voice their opinions.

“They are getting desperate… exhausting all means in trying to curtail freedom of expression,” Nurul Nuha added.

The police have so far arrested activists Adam Adli Abdul Halim and Fariz Musa as well as PKR Youth chief Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad for participating in the pro-Anwar rally held last Saturday. All were subsequently released.

IGP Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar had also issued a warning against holding rallies protesting Anwar’s jailing.

Nurul Nuha’s younger sister, Nurul Ilham Anwar, who was also present during the interview, pointed out that it was strange and unbecoming for public prosecutor under fiat Tan Sri Muhd Shafee Abdullah to hold a series of talks around the country to further attack blemish Anwar’s character.

“It proves our point it is a politically-motivated persecution. A top senior lawyer going on a road show endorsed by a minister.

“If this does not prove that Anwar is a threat to Umno I do not what is,” Nurul Ilham told Malay Mail Online.

Umno-linked lawyer Shafee, who was appointed the lead prosecutor in Anwar’s sodomy trial, embarked on a roadshow organised by Umno Youth following Anwar’s conviction to purportedly explaining the decision and rebutting allegations of political persecution.

On February 17, Shafee told the first of such forums that Anwar is a “closet homosexual” and posed a threat to national security, when explaining the Federal Court’s decision to jail the opposition leader for five years for sodomising his former aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

Shafee, who also led the prosecution during the Court of Appeal hearings of the case, also shared in detail Saiful’s testimony on how Anwar had sodomised him in 2009.

Although the first forum organised by Umno Youth was open to the public, Shafee’s latest instalments in Penang have been marked as “closed-door” events and media are not allowed to report the remarks made within.

On February 10, the Federal Court upheld the Court of Appeal’s 2014 ruling that had reversed Anwar’s acquittal of sodomising former aide Mohd Saiful, and sentenced the Permatang Pauh lawmaker to five years’ jail.