PUTRAJAYA, Sept 2, SPA -- Malaysia's highest courtoverturned the sodomy conviction of former Deputy PrimeMinister Anwar Ibrahim and freed him from prison onThursday _ exactly six years after his removal from officetriggered the country's worst political crisis. A Federal Court panel ruled 2-1 to reverse the convictionagainst Anwar, who was once considered the heir apparent ofhis mentor-turned-nemesis, then Prime Minister MahathirMohamad. But Mahathir fired him, touching off widespreadpolitical turmoil. Anwar is expected to travel to Germany for surgery totreat a back injury Judge Abdul Hamid Mohamad read out the verdict over 1 1/2hours. "We are not prepared to uphold the conviction," AbdulHamid said. "We therefore allow this appeal and set asidethe conviction and the sentence."--SPA1315 Local Time 1015 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/197359