Shoe thrower's trial delayed
- 00:01:21
- ITN
Shoe thrower's trial delayed
The trial of an Iraqi man who threw his shoes at George W Bush has been postponed. TV journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi was due to stand trial on Wednesday charged with assaulting a foreign leader after hurling both his shoes at the US President and calling him a dog at a news conference. Zaidi's lawyer Dhiaa al-Saadi said the defence was appealing to have the charge reduced to insulting a visiting head of state, which carries a two-year maximum sentence, because throwing shoes could not have put Mr Bush in real danger. The case has been put back while appeal judges decide whether to alter the original charge, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years imprisonment. Mr al-Saadi said: "Have you ever heard of anyone being killed by a shoe? In Europe, they throw eggs and rotten tomatoes to insult. In Iraq, throwing a shoe is a symbol of disrespect." The incident made al-Zaidi a hero in the Arab world, but it embarrassed the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who was standing next to Mr Bush when the shoes were thrown. Last week, the Iraqi leader sought to undermine the journalist's popularity by saying he had confessed in a letter that the mastermind of the attack was a militant known for slitting the throats of his victims. Al-Zaidi's family denied the claim and alleged he was tortured into writing the letter.
ITN | December 30, 2008
