Thursday
Dec182008
Iraqi Shoe-Gate: Update on Muntazar al-Zaidi (18 Dec)
Thursday, December 18, 2008 at 7:57
Muntazar al-Zaidi "appeared" before an Iraqi court on Wednesday. The ominous note is that he didn't appear.
According to his brother, al-Zaidi was not present at his hearing. Instead, the judge said he had taken a statement from al-Zaidi in his jail cell. Al-Zaidi's family will not be allowed to see him for another eight days. Understandably, the suspicion is that al-Zaidi was not permitted in court because, in the words of his brother, "My brother was severely beaten and [Iraqi authorities] fear that his appearance could trigger anger at the court.”
The political impact of Shoe-Gate was apparent yesterday: "As [the Iraqi] Parliament began to discuss legislation on the withdrawal from Iraq of armed forces from nations other than the United States, a group of lawmakers demanded that the legislature instead take up the issue" of al-Zaidi's detention. The speaker of the Parliament, Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, announced his resignation.
Demonstrations for al-Zaidi took place across Iraq. In Fallujah "students raised their shoes and threw rocks at American soldiers, who reportedly opened fire above the crowd".
According to his brother, al-Zaidi was not present at his hearing. Instead, the judge said he had taken a statement from al-Zaidi in his jail cell. Al-Zaidi's family will not be allowed to see him for another eight days. Understandably, the suspicion is that al-Zaidi was not permitted in court because, in the words of his brother, "My brother was severely beaten and [Iraqi authorities] fear that his appearance could trigger anger at the court.”
The political impact of Shoe-Gate was apparent yesterday: "As [the Iraqi] Parliament began to discuss legislation on the withdrawal from Iraq of armed forces from nations other than the United States, a group of lawmakers demanded that the legislature instead take up the issue" of al-Zaidi's detention. The speaker of the Parliament, Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, announced his resignation.
Demonstrations for al-Zaidi took place across Iraq. In Fallujah "students raised their shoes and threw rocks at American soldiers, who reportedly opened fire above the crowd".