Sayaad Mohyeddeen, director of Justice International Commission on Human Rights, said the case of ousted deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim was of grave concern to the international legal community.

Mohyeddeen was one of two British lawyers who arrived in Malaysia on Saturday to meet Anwar's defense team and his family to offer assistance.

"Our help involves seeing that the rule of law is observed, that the defense lawyers of Anwar are not unduly restricted and are given normal rights to prepare and defend him freely without hindrance,'' he said.

Mohyeddeen said the commission did not plan to aid the defense during the trial that begins on November 2.

The group had informed the High Court chief justice and attorney general of its intention to monitor the trial. It has also sought permission to meet Anwar. Sacked Malaysiandeputy premier and new dissident figure Anwar Ibrahim, who faces charges of corruption and sodomy, today appealed a High Court decision to refuse him bail.

His lawyer S N Nair said the appeal would be heard at a date yet to be fixed.

The appeal is the second step taken in five days by lawyers of the former deputy prime minister to secure his release from custody.

On October 8, Anwar's lawyers filed a writ of habeas corpus to free him from detention under the Internal Security Act (ISA), which allows a person to be held without trial. The motion will be heard on October 24.

"The appeal for bail is another matter altogether, which could take up to a month to hear,'' Nair, who filed the appeal in the Kuala Lumpur High Court, said. He said the appeal would be heard by the Malaysian Court of Appeals, which is above the High Court.

The High Court fixed November 2 to 14 to hear four of the five charges of corruption. Anwar has pleaded not guilty to the five charges and another five counts ofsodomy.