Fears for shoe-throwing journalist as he fails to appear in court

The Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at President George W Bush has appeared before a judge from behind bars fuelling speculation he was beaten up after the incident.

 

By Tim Butcher

Durgham al-Zaidi said he had been told his brother, Muntazer, 29, had appeared privately in the high security Green Zone in the heart of Baghdad.

"That means my brother was severely beaten and they fear his appearance could trigger anger at the court," he said.

It was not clear whether Mr al-Zaidi had been allowed any legal representation at the hearing.

Although he has not yet been formally charged it is expected he will face trial for "offending the head of a foreign state".

But legal experts disagreed on the length of sentence allowed under Iraqi law for the crime. One source said the maximum sentence was two years while another suggested is could be as much as seven.

Mr al-Zaidi has not been seen in public since he was manhandled out of the press conference where he threw both his shoes at President Bush while cursing.

Durgham said his brother was so badly beaten he had to be taken to the Ibn Sina hospital within the Green Zone for treatment broken ribs, a broken arm and facial injuries.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/3813113/Fears-for-shoe-throwing-journalist-as-he-fails-to-appear-in-court.html

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