The United States on Monday welcomed the closure of the case of Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, saying the ruling reflects "favorably" on the independence of the country's judiciary.

Noting that the High Court in Kuala Lumpur has acquitted Anwar, the State Department said that "we welcome the closure of this long-running case, which we have followed closely."

"The ruling reflects favorably on the independence of Malaysia' s judiciary and presents an opportunity for all Malaysians to focus on the future," said the department in a statement.

Anwar, the 64-year-old former deputy prime minister, was charged with sodomizing his 26-year-old former assistant, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, in June 2008. The trial started on Feb. 3 in 2010.

Anwar denied the charge repeatedly, saying it was set up to destroy his political career.