Iraq shoe-thrower to go on trial amid new torture claims
BAGHDAD —
The Iraqi journalist thrust to instant fame when he threw his shoes at U.S. President George W Bush will go on trial this month on charges that carry up to 15 years in jail, a judge said on Monday.
Investigating judge Dhiya al-Kenani rejected new allegations by the journalist’s family that he had been tortured in custody, charges that were levelled after a brother was allowed a first prison visit.
“The investigation phase is over and the case has been transferred to the Central Criminal Court,” Kenani said. “The trial will start on Wednesday, Dec 31.”
Muntazer al-Zaidi stands accused of “aggression against a foreign head of state during an official visit,” an offense that carries a prison term of between five and 15 years under Iraqi law.
But the court could convict him of the lesser charge of “attempted aggression” which carries a prison term of one to five years.
Zaidi, 29, became a hero to many when he threw his shoes at Bush during the U.S. president’s surprise visit to Iraq on Dec 14, an action considered a grave insult in the Arab world.
Kenani confirmed that Zaidi’s lawyer had lodged a complaint over his treatment and that a letter would be sent to the office of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to request that security guards be brought to justice.
One of Zaidi’s brothers, Uday, said he had been able to visit him in custody for the first time on Sunday and charged that the journalist had been tortured by his captors to force him to sign a statement.
“I met my brother for around an hour. He has been tortured while in detention for 36 hours continuously. He has been hit with iron rods and cables,” the brother said.
“There is very severe bleeding in his eye, and he has bruises on his feet and nose, and he was also tortured with electric shocks.
“He was forced to sign a statement confessing to receiving money from different groups and saying that he did not throw his shoes for the honor of Iraq,” Uday said. “But Muntazer said I will not apologize for what I did—not now, not ever.”
Maliki’s office confirmed that the premier had received a letter signed by Zaidi alleging third party involvement in his protest.
“Muntazer al-Zaidi has expressed regret in a letter I received from him in which he revealed that an individual persuaded him to commit this action and that this person is well-known for beheading people,” it quoted Maliki as saying.
The allusion was clearly to insurgent groups opposed to his U.S.-backed government that have executed captives in the past, but it was unclear precisely which individual Maliki was referring to.
The judge dismissed the family’s torture allegations. “Muntazer’s brother is lying, because there are only bruises on Muntazer’s face that he received during the arrest and they are small ones,” Kenani said.
“Even if it were true that he had been tortured with electric shocks, it would leave burns on his body, and you will see Muntazer during the trial, so you can judge for yourself.
But Uday insisted that any public appearance would prove the truth of his allegations. “If I am lying, let the judge show Muntazer on television for everyone to see,” he said.
His lawyer had asked that Zaidi’s case be transferred from the central criminal court, which handles terrorism cases, to an ordinary tribunal but the judge refused.
Meanwhile another brother, Durgham, slammed people reportedly trying to exploit the incident for commercial gain.
“It’s all nonsense. These people want to exploit what my brother did,” he said after being told a Turkish firm claimed it had manufactured the offending footwear.
A White House spokesman reiterated the US position that it is up to Iraq to handle Zaidi.
“He’s in the hands of the Iraqi system. I don’t have anything more on the shoe-thrower,” spokesman Tony Fratto told reporters when asked if the White House was concerned about reports that the Iraqi journalist showed signs of having been tortured.
“I think that’s been explored extensively and I have nothing new for you.”
Wire reports
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33 Comments
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SuperLib
"you will see Muntazer during the trial, so you can judge for yourself."
Sounds good to me.
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Sarge
Oh for cryin' out loud, just let Bush wing his shoes at him and call it even.
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BlackFlag
no, no let's hear about torture in your new free Iraq
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smithinjapan
Surprise, surprise.... freedumb Iraq is becoming a home to torturers and people who protect them. Tell us again how great the new Iraq is and how different it is than when under Saddam.
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Everton2
This guy deserve to be hanged by the balls. What he did was an attempted assault on a foreign head of state visiting Iraq. Whatever you may think of Bush it is wrong to assault him.
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buddha4brains
Everton2: Oh yeah, everyone else must own up to their actions, but Bush owns up to nothing? It was wrong to go to war based on lies. Of course, Bush will never have to face what he has done to millions of people. He kind of made the term "Leader of the Free World" a non sequitur since he has reduced the POTUS to figurehead.
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adamantine
I can't help noticing that the new Iraq refuses to go back to its Baathist form.
Does this disappoint Muntazer al-Zaidi's fans?
No matter what the outcome of this very revealing spectacle, the fact that the jailed journalist's arrest and subsequent trial arrangements are proceeding openly and according to democratically fashioned law - and that all of this is being closely followed in the region and worldwide - seems to me to vindicate the nimble Texan target of Muntazer al-Zaidi infantile shoe-tossing tantrum.
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likeitis
And whatever you think of foreign leaders its wrong to hang by the balls those who throw shoes at them, particularly those who deserve far worse.
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likeitis
Something doesn't jibe. What could it be? Well, let's look at the rest of the quote.
So, if I were to see for myself, I guess that means he will be naked at the trial?
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adaydream
After the coup the new dictator will release him on good behavior. < :-)
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likeitis
You call this open? The last time I saw any footage of al-Zeidi was when he was getting roughed up at a press conference and the camera was abruptly turned off.
His brother got to visit more than a week later, but his brother says he is in bad shape. Its his word against that of the authorities, because its all pretty far from open.
And here is a question for you: what charges are being filed against those who manhandled al-Zeidi? I would really like to hear what they all have to say about the condition al-Zeidi left the conference room since the video camera got shut down.
Open? If open means closed, then yeah.
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likeitis
What disappoints those of us who have any feeling of approval for the actions of al-Zaidi (rather than the man himself) is that the Ba'athists have been replaced with suicide bombings and chaotic carnage on innocents worse than what the Ba'athists caused (unless you throw in the Iran-Iraq war (at your peril because "we" supported that)).
But keep trying to sidestep the reasons al-Zaidi threw his shoes and refuses to apologize. Everyone will catch on sooner or later to what you are up to.
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likeitis
The above might be arguable, unless I tack on "in recent years" to the above. That is what really counts, so consider it tacked on.
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sailwind
At my so called "peril"..... The Baath record.
http://www.moreorless.au.com/killers/hussein.html
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smithinjapan
sarge: "Oh for cryin' out loud, just let Bush wing his shoes at him and call it even."
Good idea... then let's line up all those people who lost relatives to the illegal US invasion and put bush in front of them to practice the 'eye for an eye' stuff you guys always support. We all know that's about as likely to happen though as Iraq NOT returning to the type of state it was before said invasion. Need proof it's already happening? Just reread this article.
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skipthesong
While I feel a bit of sympathy for the guy, he should have thought what would be the outcome of his actions, especially in a place like Iraq, did he think he would just get off scott free? Not for nothing, but the outcome could have been a lot worse, had the government employed secret service did their jobs properly, he should never have been able to get a second shoe off and had I been there what would I have thought - a flying object the size of a grenade which could have killed his own kind too... Protesting is fine, even if includes guns shooting in their air as far as I am concerned, but once you aim in on someone, situation changes. We can breathe a little better knowing that upon his release, he has been promised quite a number of people's daughters; perhaps a movie contract, book deal, posters, and a lot of fame. How badly has he been tortured and has he been tortured on purpose?
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likeitis
There is a good case for the idea that he knew he would not get of scot free. Despite all he has been through, even if it was just the beating in the press room, arrest and a possible 15 years in prison:
Does not sound like the "Gee, I should have thought this through" frame of mind.
Everyone was checked out before going in the room, guaranteed. Not only who they were, but also what they were carrying. They knew there were no grenades or any other weapons.
About the only thing the Secret Service could have done was jump in front of george, and then only if they were very near the president. They were not near him, probably because it was a press moment, maybe even under orders from george despite wanting to be there.
Of all the things to worry about, I am sure even george himself is glad their attention was on other things than shoes. Far worse things in the world.
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SuperLib
Once again we see smith's "lets get all the facts first" position go right out the window, all in a matter of seconds. The hypocrisy is too astounding for him to not be aware of what he's doing. At this point we can only assume he's a willing participant.
The judge has said that he isn't being mistreated. The defendant's brother says he is. Without knowing for myself what the case really is I'll take the judge's word on it instead of the hothead brother who has an axe to grind. Besides, the judge said that everyone will see him in court in a matter of days. Why not wait until then before you condemn his handlers? Are you afraid you'll lose your chance? Better hurry up....the clock is ticking.... ;)
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Sarge
smithinjapan: "illegal US invasion"
Is this the illegal US invasion which has resulted in a ruthless dictator brought to justice, an Iraqi government whhich doesn't seek WMD or threaten its neighbors and a situation where a journalist can throw his shoes at the guest of the leader of Iraq without being immediately beheaded?
Checking...
Yeah, it is!
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likeitis
Well, I guess we will see him when we see him, eh? Nothing like promises. Why not bet the farm? Will they televise it like the People's Court?
Not sure what ax that is. But I find the coolheads to be equally apt to lie, only a lot more clever and original about it.
Remember that broken arm rumor? I wonder how that got started? It would be a really stupid thing for the brother to make up, wouldn't it? Seems to me somebody fed that to him to discredit him. I bet it was someone with a cool head who knows the hotheads will run with something like that every time.
They have kept so much buried. Who knows what to believe at this point? One thing I do know is that its the authorities who are calling all the shots. The more open they are the more I will be inclined to believe them. They are not being open. I tend to not believe them.
Its too early to condemn them yes. But the crux is that the more this drags on, the less people will care, and the authorities know that. Indeed, the clock is ticking.
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likeitis
As always, the ends justifies the means. At least you are consisistent about that one thing sarge.
But in your whitewashing campaign you left out the reason why the shoes got tossed. You know, the years of unrest and death.
And I might be killing the dramatics, but I think Saddam had more of a tendency to drag people out back and shoot them. I think its actually enemies of Saddam who do the instant beheading thing.
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Sarge
"the ends justifies the means"
Heck, we could have just turned Iraq into a parking lot with zero U.S. casualties, but we didn't. The way we we did it cost over 4000 U.S. lives while saving countless Iraqi lives. Any praise for that? Nah...
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adaydream
Muntazer al-Zaidi is the bravest man in Iraq. Not the smartest, but the bravest.
Muntazer al-Zaidi stood up to the "Butch of Iraq" and threw a she for the people of Iraq. He stood up for the orphaned childrens who now will grow up without their parents.
Yeah I know he was stupid for throwing the shoes, but....
Muntazer al-Zaidi is a hero. He is no different then the Chinese man who stood infront of the tanks in Tiananmen Square.
He's a hero, who did bad and will pay for his actions.
Until the new leader takes over. < :-)
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Sarge
"Muntazer al-Zaidi is the bravest man in Iraq"
Har! If he was the bravest man in Iraq, he would have joined the Iraqi security forces to fight the scumbags in the Triangle of Death, or at least help protect Bush from shoe throwers.
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adaydream
Ha!! Ha!! Sarge. I thought it was the Secret Service's job to protect george bush. But I see that it was Muntazer al-Zaidi's job.
Thanks Sarge for the chuckle. < :-)
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adamantine
"...The Arabs, who once upon a time boasted Averroes and Avicenna, are now reduced to eulogizing a boorish act of agitprop as a heroic achievement. America gave us Martin Luther King; South Africa gave us Mandela; India gave us Gandhi; the Arab world gives us … Muntader-al-Zaidi. A people who invented the zero are now reduced, themselves, to zero. Only a people who live under the boots of their rulers celebrate the throwing of a shoe at a guest."
Los Estados Unidos, The Arab Sole, Tunku Varadarajan
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adaydream
But then Sarge, maybe george bush needs different Secret Service agents. Did you see how long it took for them to get by his side? If he'd have had a real WMD, that george bush never did find, he'd be dead.
I mean it took them at least 5 seconds for them to react at all.
But Muntazer al-Zaidi is a hero to those who lost relatives in the wonderful "Shock and Aw". Those who died because george bush wanted to kill Iraqis.
Muntazer al-Zaidi will be crucified and made an example of. He'll be another person to suffer from george bush's actions. < :-)
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beambreak
adamantine
Your 1:12am post is most astute.
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SuperLib
Right. We're kind of starting at the same point but ending in different places. I'm saying we don't know what the real story is so let's wait and find out when he's in court. You're saying we don't know what the real story is so no one can disprove anything you want to make up.
Ah, so perhaps he was tricked into destroying his own credibility. Hell, for all we know al-Zaidi could have been tricked into throwing his shoes by someone who told him that it's a form of flattery in the West. It's just too early to know the best way to spin a defense for this guy and his brother so we'll just have to wait and see how it all plays out.
Look, we both know you're going to get your outrage. The guy could show up in court with no marks at all, claim that he was shot in the head 100 times, and there would still be a percentage of the population who will believe him just because they want to. The only question is whether you'll include yourself or not.
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likeitis
I am not making anything up. I am floating possibilities made of the information I have been given combined with simple realities.
For example, the broken arm thing has been swept under the rug. But this was information I was given, even if false, so I keep it on the table, albeit to the side. It had to come from somewhere for some reason, but that reason may be simple error.
And there are allegations of torture by electric shock, which the judge says will leave burn marks on his body (not always true). Then he says we will see for ourselves, which I find to be a very dubious statement because 1) he won't be naked in court 2)burn marks are not always present (depends on some factors) and 3) I have no idea who will be in that courtroom or who is even allowed, but I know it won't be me, and I doubt it will be a camera totting journalist, so no I WON'T see him in court. I think the judge knows these things, and that does make the judge look any more credible. Until I get the info on Iraqi court procedure I can only work with what I think is most likely the case, and that cannot be tempered by vague statements by a judge about "seeing him in court". Construing that as some kind of indicator of how the court would proceed would be preposterous. The statement is fraught with ins and outs and other possible meanings and intentions. The simple fact that most legal procedure predates the invasion is far more useful for making guesses. Cameras and journalists and nudity in the court? Not very likely.
I will "believe" the most likely possibility made up of the usable, believable and likely information I am given. As the information changes, so will what I "believe", because I wasn't there. I am just as biased as anyone else on the inside, but I think I do a pretty good job of disregarding my own irrationalities in my analysis. But don't confuse my sowing doubt in others for what I "believe". Probably the easiest to make with my posts. I express the doubts because they exist, not because I believe a certain thing.
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Sarge
I see the maker of the shoes that Muntazer threw at Bush has more orders than he can deal with. Normally he sells 19,000 pairs a year, but since Muntazer threw his at Bush, he has orders for 370,000, including 19,000 from liberals in te U.S. ha ha ha!
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likeitis
Modern use of the zero is attributed to the Indians, and the Olmecs discovered it independently it is believed. Clever word play is not so clever when it goes against the facts.
Could at least wait until al-Zaidi is as old as the other three before making the comparison! But I am stumped as to the Arab version of those three men, that much I will admit.
But Arabs are not the only ones who feel like celebrating.
And its not like anybody can expect two chances to throw things at W. Anyone is lucky to get just the one shot. Its not like Bush is ever in the vanguard or announces his schedule very far in advance, is it?
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