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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Iraq shoe thrower's jail term cut | Iraq shoe thrower's jail term cut |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The Iraqi journalist who hurled his shoes at former US President George W Bush has had his sentence cut from three years to one year on appeal. | The Iraqi journalist who hurled his shoes at former US President George W Bush has had his sentence cut from three years to one year on appeal. |
| Muntadar al-Zaidi's lawyer argued that the charge should be changed from assault to insulting a foreign leader. | |
| The judge agreed and reduced the term in line with the less serious offence. | The judge agreed and reduced the term in line with the less serious offence. |
| An official for the court said the presiding judge had also taken into account the fact that Zaidi had no prior criminal history. | An official for the court said the presiding judge had also taken into account the fact that Zaidi had no prior criminal history. |
| "The appeal court issued its decision today... taking into consideration that he [Zaidi] is still young and doesn't have any previous convictions," said Abdul Sattar al-Birqdar, the spokesman for the Iraqi judicial council. | |
| Grave insult | |
| Zaidi's lawyer, Yaha al-Ittabi, said the decision showed "the independence and the integrity of the Iraqi judiciary". | |
| Shoe hurling is a grave insult in Arab culture, but Mr Bush - who was on a farewell trip to Iraq at the time - shrugged off the attack. | Shoe hurling is a grave insult in Arab culture, but Mr Bush - who was on a farewell trip to Iraq at the time - shrugged off the attack. |
| Footage of the shoe hurling incident | Footage of the shoe hurling incident |
| The shoe attack happened in mid-December 2008 during a news conference Mr Bush was holding with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. | |
| Zaidi, of al-Baghdadiya TV, called Mr Bush "a dog" and threw his shoes as a "farewell kiss" from Iraqis who had been killed, orphaned or widowed since the US-led invasion. | Zaidi, of al-Baghdadiya TV, called Mr Bush "a dog" and threw his shoes as a "farewell kiss" from Iraqis who had been killed, orphaned or widowed since the US-led invasion. |
| "I had the feeling that the blood of innocent people was dropping on my feet during the time that he was smiling and coming to say bye-bye to Iraq with a dinner," Zaidi said during his trial in March. | |
| Hero or criminal? | |
| He was overpowered and arrested and his actions were condemned by the Iraqi government as "shameful". | He was overpowered and arrested and his actions were condemned by the Iraqi government as "shameful". |
| Zaidi had faced a potential 15 years in jail, now slashed to one year | |
| But the shoe attack, at a globally televised news conference, was celebrated across the world by critics of the outgoing US president, who ordered the 2003 invasion of the Iraq. | But the shoe attack, at a globally televised news conference, was celebrated across the world by critics of the outgoing US president, who ordered the 2003 invasion of the Iraq. |
| An opinion poll carried out for the BBC and ABC - the full results of which appear next Monday - suggested 62% of the Iraqis polled considered Zaidi a "hero". | An opinion poll carried out for the BBC and ABC - the full results of which appear next Monday - suggested 62% of the Iraqis polled considered Zaidi a "hero". |
| Some 24% of the sample said they viewed him as "criminal", while 10% thought he was a hero and criminal equally. | |
| Taking into account pre-trial custody and the customary reductions of sentences, Zaidi is set to be released on 14 September. |