Muntather Zaidi will not apologize to Bush for hurling his shoes at him, 'even if they cut him into small pieces,' the journalist's sibling says after visiting him in detention.
By Caesar Ahmed and Ned Parker / Los Angeles Times
Reporting from Baghdad -- Iraqi journalist Muntather Zaidi told his family he would never apologize to President Bush for hurling his shoes at the American leader, his brother said Sunday after visiting the detained correspondent for the first time.
Zaidi has become an unlikely hero to Bush administration critics for lobbing two shoes at the president Dec. 14 during a news conference in Baghdad. His actions have been widely praised in the Middle East and elsewhere by religious leaders, ordinary people and governments opposed to the United States, and even prompted marriage offers.
Zaidi, a 29-year-old television journalist from the Cairo-based satellite channel Baghdadiya, was detained by Iraqi authorities and has been kept out of the public eye since the incident.
The Iraqi government announced last week that Zaidi had written a letter to Prime Minister Nouri Maliki requesting forgiveness for attacking Bush. But the journalist's brother, Uday Zaidi, challenged the government's assertions after Sunday's visit.
"Muntather said that he was forced to apologize to Maliki and he will never, never apologize to Bush, even if they cut him into small pieces," he told The Times after his visit with his brother.
Zaidi said his brother had lost a tooth and that his nose required stitches because of the beatings he had suffered in custody.
"There were multiple bruises all over his body," he said. "There were cigarette burns behind his ears. He was beaten with metal rods. His eyes were swollen. They have assigned two medical doctors . . . to provide him with treatment in order to hide the evidence of torture."
Also this piece of news:
Judge in Bush shoe thrower: No probe into torture.
Judge dismisses torture allegations; Brother claims journalist beaten, subjected to electric shocks, forced to sign false confessions.
Investigating judge Dhiya al-Kenani rejected new allegations by the journalist's family that he had been tortured in custody, charges that were levelled after a brother was allowed a first prison visit."The investigation phase is over and the case has been transferred to the Central Criminal Court," Kenani said. "The trial will start on Wednesday, December 31."
1 comment:
What person would thank a President who illegally invaded their country and killed 1 million people while holding thousands in jail without charges and using torture, rape and ever murder. What person would thank an invader who only wanted to steal oil and use the land for Israel to the bomb Iran. Would you thank someone for doing that to the United States?
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