Thursday
Mar122009
Muntazar al-Zaidi Update: 3 Years in Prison for Shoe-Throwing
Thursday, March 12, 2009 at 15:42
The "trial" of Iraqi journalist Muntazar al-Zaidi finally concluded today, almost three months after he threw his shoes at then-US President George W. Bush.
Unsurprisingly, al-Zaidi was sentenced to three years in jail. Unsurprising because a prison stay of 15 years, which he could have received for "assaulting" a foreign leader, risked affronting global opinion, while on the other hand, his challenge to Bush could not go unpunished.
To try and keep a lid on protests, Iraqi authorities cleared the courtroom of family and journalists before the sentence was announced.
Unsurprisingly, al-Zaidi was sentenced to three years in jail. Unsurprising because a prison stay of 15 years, which he could have received for "assaulting" a foreign leader, risked affronting global opinion, while on the other hand, his challenge to Bush could not go unpunished.
To try and keep a lid on protests, Iraqi authorities cleared the courtroom of family and journalists before the sentence was announced.
Reader Comments (2)
Disgraceful. Not sure about the intricacies of the Iraqi justice system - does 3 years mean 3 years?
will Bush go to jail for killing innocent children in Iraq