Shoe-Thrower Gets 3 Years in Prison
Muntadar al-Zaidi became an instant hero to many when he lobbed his shoes at then-President Bush, but he'll spend the next three years in an Iraqi prison. The sentence could have been five times longer, but still seems a harsh punishment for a crime that Bush himself praised as an example of free expression.
Muntadar al-Zaidi became an instant hero to many when he lobbed his shoes at then-President Bush, but he’ll spend the next three years in an Iraqi prison. The sentence could have been five times longer, but still seems a harsh punishment for a crime that Bush himself praised as an example of free expression.
Rock Solid JournalismBBC:
Muntadar al-Zaidi pleaded not guilty as his trial resumed in Baghdad, telling the judge: “My reaction was natural, just like any Iraqi.”
He could have [been] jailed for 15 years for assaulting a foreign leader on an official visit.
Mr Bush, on a farewell trip to Iraq in December, shrugged off the incident.
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