BAGHDAD — An Iraqi journalist jailed after hurling his shoes at former President George W. Bush will be released next month after his sentence was reduced for good behavior, his lawyer said Saturday.
Muntadhar al-Zeidi's act during Bush's last visit to Iraq as president turned the 30-year-old reporter into a folk hero across the Arab world amid anger over the 2003 invasion.
He has been in custody since the Dec. 14 outburst, which occurred as Bush was holding a joint news conference with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
He was initially sentenced to three years after pleading not guilty to assaulting a foreign leader, then the court reduced it to one year because the journalist had no prior criminal history.
Defense attorney Karim al-Shujairi said al-Zeidi will now be released on Sept. 14, three months early.
"We have been informed officially about the court decision," al-Shujairi told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "His release will be a victory for the free and honorable Iraqi media."
Judicial spokesman Abdul-Sattar Bayrkdar said he had no immediate information about the release because it was a weekend.
The bizarre act of defiance transformed the obscure reporter from a minor TV station into a national hero to many Iraqis fed up with the nearly six-year U.S. presence here.
The case also drew worldwide attention and became a rallying cry throughout the Muslim world for critics who resent the U.S. invasion and occupation.
Thousands demonstrated for al-Zeidi's release and hailed his gesture, which came in the waning days of the Bush administration. The incident also embarrassed al-Maliki, who was standing next to Bush at the time.
Neither leader was injured, but Bush was forced to duck for cover as the journalist shouted in Arabic: "This is your farewell kiss, you dog! This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq."
They shoulda kept him in there, but they love violent folks who can't follow rules or laws, like that other place that just let go of a mass murderer..... ;-)
what you need to understand about pirty is she means others should follow rules and law, america is exempt. so like when venezula and cuba wanted america to deport orlando bosch and luis posada for the blowing up of cuban airliner 455 which killed all 73 people on board, and america refused ( bush pardoned bosch despite objections by the defense department saying bosch was one of the most deadly terrorists working 'within the hemisphere'. posada was freed despite the justice department urging that he be kept in jail because he was 'an admitted mastermind of terrorist plots and attacks' and a 'flight risk and a danger to the community' ) - thats ok. if it was the other way round, and america wanted people who were hiding in venezula or cuba that had blown up an american plane, and venezula or cuba refused - that would be wrong.
so throwing a shoe at the american president, big crime. launching an aggressive war that broke the united nations charter ( as said by then secretary general of the united nations ) - thats not a crime. but if anyone else breaks the charter ( except israel of course! ) thats a crime.
like when america blew up the iranian flight 655 killing all 290 people on board, thats not a crime. if iran had blown up an american flight - that would be a crime.
A Bahraini businessman plans to give the Iraqi journalist jailed for throwing his shoes at former US president George W. Bush his Mercedes limousine as a gift.
Businessman Quresh Khan Buneeri says he will drive the limousine to Baghdad personally and hand it over to Zaidi as a reward for his actions.
"I read in the papers that he (Zaidi) is being released on September 14," Buneeri was quoted as saying by Bahrain's Gulf Daily News on Monday.
"I just need a few days to get the car ship-shape so I can drive it all the way to Baghdad.
"I have cared for it meticulously over the last eight months after I announced I would present Zaidi the vehicle.”
Shoe-throwing Iraqi journalist Muntadar al-Zaidi, who worked for the Cairo-based al-Baghdadia television network, will be set free later this month for good behavior.
Zaidi had originally been sentenced to three years imprisonment, but the sentence was reduced to 12 months because he had no prior record.
According to his lawyer, Karim al-Shujairi, the journalist will now be released on September 14, three months earlier.
"Apparently the early release is for good behavior… We have been informed officially about the court decision. His release will be a victory for the free and honorable Iraqi media," al-Shujairi said.
The 28-year-old Iraqi journalist grabbed world fame after he stood up just meters away from Bush at a news conference, threw his shoe at the former US president and shouted in Arabic, "This is a gift from the Iraqis; this is the farewell kiss, you dog!"
Bush ducked and narrowly avoided the shoe, but astonished security guards, officials and journalists watched as Zaidi then threw his other shoe, shouting, "This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq!"
Since Zaidi's December 14 outburst and his subsequent arrest, thousands have demonstrated for his release, hailing his gesture.
