Infamous Shoe thrower sentence

[turbojet]

BAGHDAD – A court convicted an Iraqi journalist of assault Thursday for hurling his shoes at George W. Bush and sentenced him to three years in prison, prompting an outburst from his family and calls for his release from Iraqis who consider him an icon for a nation decimated by war.

Muntadhar al-Zeidi, 30, defiantly shouted, "Long Live Iraq!" when the sentence was imposed, according to defense lawyers. Some of his relatives collapsed and had to be helped out of the courthouse. Others were forcibly removed by guards after shouting "Down with Bush!"

"This judiciary is unjust," al-Zeidi's brother, Dargham, said tearfully.

Other family members shouted insults against Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who like al-Zeidi is a Shiite.

Although al-Zeidi received the minimum sentence — it could have been 15 years behind bars — his lawyers denounced the verdict and said they would appeal, possibly hoping a public outcry would aid their cause.

Al-Zeidi's brazen act during a Dec. 14 press conference by Bush and al-Maliki in Baghdad's Green Zone turned the young reporter into a folk hero across the Arab world, where the former U.S. president is reviled for invading Iraq in 2003 and for other policies.

Many Iraqis interviewed after the verdict believed the sentence was too harsh and that al-Zeidi was a hero for standing up to the American president. Supporters defended his act as a political statement in Arab culture, where throwing shoes at someone is considered an especially serious insult.

But protests on al-Zeidi's behalf have drawn few participants since December, and there was no sign of spontaneous rallies Thursday after the noontime verdict.

It appeared unlikely, therefore, that al-Maliki would recommend a presidential pardon for the journalist, at least anytime soon.

Al-Maliki was deeply embarrassed by the assault against an American president who had stood by him when some Arab leaders were quietly urging the U.S. to oust him. His aides had said the prime minister was personally offended by such an insult to a foreign guest.

The speed of the trial — two relatively brief hearings — is likely to feed widespread suspicion among Iraqis that al-Maliki's government orchestrated the process, although defense lawyers said they had no evidence of interference.

Spokesmen for Bush and for the State Department both called the verdict "a matter for the Iraqi judicial system."

During Thursday's proceedings, chief defense attorney Dhia al-Saadi moved that the charges be dismissed, saying al-Zeidi's act was "an expression of freedom" and not a crime.

"It was an act of throwing a shoe, not a rocket," he told the court. "It was meant as an insult to the occupation."

Al-Zeidi, wearing a beige suit over a brown shirt and brown leather shoes, then entered a plea of not guilty.

Judge Abdul-Amir al-Rubaie cleared the courtroom of all spectators and announced the verdict, which was relayed to reporters and family members by defense lawyers and a court official.

News of al-Zeidi's sentence drew quick reactions across the capital.

"Al-Zeidi should have been honored and not sent to prison," said Salam Omar, who owns a cell phone shop in eastern Baghdad.

Nasir al-Saadi, a lawmaker loyal to Shiite opposition leader Muqtada al-Sadr, said the court "should have adopted a more humane approach and released him."

"It is an illegitimate and unfair sentence because he hit the commander of an occupying force," said Ahmed al-Obeidi, who lives in Baghdad's Sunni district of Azamiyah.

An ABC News/BBC/NHK poll released Thursday found that 62 percent of Iraqis surveyed considered al-Zeidi a hero and only 24 percent considered him a criminal.

Support was highest among Sunni Arabs — 84 percent — and lowest among the Kurds at 38 percent, according to ABC.

ABC said the findings were based on 2,228 face-to-face interviews with a random national sample of Iraqis conducted Feb. 17-25. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points. The full survey will be released Monday ahead of the sixth anniversary of the war, ABC said.

The head of the Iraqi Journalists' Union, Mouyyad al-Lami, urged the government to pardon al-Zeidi, saying the young journalist "deserves a second chance to start a new life."

But Serwan Gharaib, a journalist in the Kurdish city of Sulaimaniyah, said al-Zeidi had violated journalistic ethics by exploiting his access to Bush.

"I may understand the suffering of the Iraqi people due to the occupation, but I do not understand the bizarre method of protest conducted by al-Zeidi," he said.

Al-Zeidi, a correspondent for a small Iraqi-owned television station based in Cairo, Egypt, has been in Iraqi custody since the incident.

When al-Zeidi threw his shoes at Bush, he shouted in Arabic: "This is your farewell kiss, you dog! This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq."

On Thursday, defense lawyers quoted al-Zeidi as telling them, "At that moment, I saw nothing but Bush, and I felt the blood of the innocents flowing under his feet while he was smiling that smile."

Bush quickly ducked to avoid being hit and was not injured. Guards wrestled al-Zeidi to the ground and dragged him away.

The trial began on Feb. 19 but was adjourned until Thursday after the defense argued that the assault charge was inapplicable because Bush was not in Baghdad on an official visit, having arrived unannounced and without an invitation.

On Thursday, the judge accepted a statement from al-Maliki's office that the visit was official.

Last month, a German student threw a shoe at Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao during a speech at Britain's Cambridge University. The student, Martin Jahnke, is free on bail until his trial in June on charges of disturbing public order.

Not that bad. Just 3 years in Iraqi prison. It's a great thing when Bernie Madoff gets sentenced 150 years for screwing over millions and this guy gets sentenced 3 years for doing what I would have done in a heart beat. Still wish that atleast ONE of the shoes would have nailed the bastard.

[Blacklightning]

Apparently he's something of a hero in the region now. You'd have thought they would just give him a medal instead.

[Mick]

I can't believe that he got sentenced. I figured he would go scott free after that incident.

[Badnik Zero]

He was charged with "assaulting a foreign leader", which I guess is a fair thing to say, because you can't have people going and messing up your country's diplomacy with pie gags. Still, good for him. He made himself heard, and he'll be remembered for it well after he's served his sentence. Don't imagine he'll serve the full three years though, since they talked of appealing the verdict.

[Eternal EX]

He was charged with "assaulting a foreign leader", which I guess is a fair thing to say, because you can't have people going and messing up your country's diplomacy with pie gags.

Soo, he's still considered probably the biggest BADASS in 2008/2009.

Someone Gif that please?

[Mick]

I take absolutely no credit for this whatsoever, but here's a parody of the shoe-throwing incident. This was someone's sig here and I forgot who had it.

I know the original one is out there, but I like this one more.

[Paul Str337]

Ok, while I guessed there’d be a prison sentence involved three years is way too harsh. A couple of weeks would have been better. It’s not like Bush seemed phased at all and the rest of the world took it as a bit of a joke. My family and I were laughing at the whole thing again last night as the BBC did their best to recall such a ridiculous incident in their usual po-faced manner. Unintentional comedy FTW!

[Remy]

He'd probably be a hero in prison anyway.

Three years is too much, he didn't even hit Bush! take it easy on the guy

[Eileanach]

I need to agree with Remy he didn't HIT Bush and yet a three year sentence? Jesus, no need. He had INTENT to assault a foreign asswipe he didn't though... he missed.

[KittyNakajima]

I heard about the sentence last night. It seems somewhat lenient at best, since he could have been screwed over with 15 years behind bars. But even still, three years is a bit too long in my opinion, unless they have things like possibility of parole and shortening it for good behavior.

I hope they do appeal it and get his sentence lowered, but either way he's still a hero to a lot of people for having to balls to be blunt with Bush and show him how he felt about his wonderful policies.

[Sega DogTagz]

What’s this entire “harsh sentence” stuff. Dude got the minimum sentence; the court really doesn’t have the power to give him anything less than that. I’m actually kinda surprised he only got three, knowing how grave an insult it is to chuck a shoe at someone in that part of a world. I know a lot of guys from that area and they wouldn’t hurl a Nike at their worst enemy, let alone a head-of-state.

Needless to say if Bush were still president this guy would probably have gotten the full 15. But he isn’t and that is totally a good thing.

Edited March 13, 2009 by Sega DogTagz

[Flyboy Fox]

A female protester threw a cup of green slime all over politician Peter Mandelson's face and jacket a few days ago in the UK. She walked away scott free.

Sure, he's not the president, but it still shows a great difference between two cultures. If it HAD been a more important figure (in the UK incident), there probably would have been an arrest and maybe a fine or community service for a short time. But they wouldn't be locked up for three years.

Having said that, I'm sure Iraqi shoe-thrower was well aware of the implications of what he did - after all, he did it BECAUSE it was considered to be the highest insult possible. He may be a hero for what he did, but he still broke a law. My biggest concern is not over the length of his sentence but rather about the conditions and treatment he'll endure during that time.

[Kernel Machinegun]

I don't see why they're making a big deal out of this.

So he threw his shoes? Yeah, I know it's considered the highest insult in Arab culture but come on, it doesn't differentiate much from the middle finger. Plus, Bush dodged them... though they could have injured him.

The point is, if other protesters and rebels can get away with stunts like this, why not al-Zaidi? Plus I've seen stuff about him being beaten and tortured, that's way too much...

[Mollfie]

I can't believe that he got sentenced. I figured he would go scott free after that incident.

Same. But it is the minimum sentence for technically assaulting the president.

[Paul Str337]

Attempted assault, thanks to Bush’s Matrix like dodging ability.

[turbojet]

I'm sure there was a video on MSN news about this yesterday, and some of his family were on about him being beaten, or worrying about him being beaten, or something like that?

Eitherway, "Just 3 years in Iraqi prison"? I'm sure you wouldn't say just, if that was you being sentenced ;]

I also don't agree with the sentence, they should've given the chap a medal, and then given Bush a raspberry.

Honestly, I am against him getting sentenced period because 1.the foreign leader at the time was reigning Hell on his country and 2. the leader was on the outset of his presidency. I mean why the hell was Bush in Iraq anyways? Just to tell them,"We are still gonna bomb the Holy Hell out of this country" I don't blame the guy for throwing his shoes at him. I thought they were going to kill the guy at first.

[Patticus]

I mean why the hell was Bush in Iraq anyways?

Trying not to look like too shit of a world statesman.

[Gabz Girl]

He didn't deserve to go to prison... D: This guy is awesome, and he will always be remembered as the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at the stupidest president the world has ever known. Who sadly dodged them with great speed.

Atleast he's not in prison for LIFE. Or executed.

[Rusty Spy]

To tell you the truth, I take that assault quite offensively. I mean, he's the president, a shit one at that but still the president no less. Just the same if he had thrown a shoe at any other leader, you guy's would be pissed. Basically, throwing that shoe doesn't just express what that guy thought of the president, but also the whole US, which I'm sure none of you would take lightly if it had been to any leader from your country.

Edited March 14, 2009 by VirgoTheCougar

[Eileanach]

Actually here in the UK members of parliament get pelted with bottles, eggs and who knows what else all the time and people just split their sides laughing. I find it laughable that people get sentenced for it. It's a fucking shoe! It wasn't like a knife or a bomb and it didn't even hit him! Gee whiz lighten up.