Updates on the case of Muntather Al-Zaidi, Friday December 19

by Najlaa Al-Nashi, with Noah Baker Merrill

An Update about Muntather’s court case:

The judge has rejected the defense’s request to release Muntather on bail, refusing to change the way the case is classified under Iraqi law.

The leader of Munthather’s Iraqi team of lawyers, Mr. Hashim Al-Futyan, was surprised by the government’s decision to refer Muntather’s case to be tried in the criminal court that Ambassador Paul Bremer established at the beginning of the occupation in 2003.

Regarding what the defense was seeking, but did not achieve:

They wanted to change the legal classification of Muntather’s case to be considered under law no. 227, which would mean it would be considered in the misdemeanor court instead of the higher criminal court. Their next step is to appeal the case based on the belief that the government is discriminating against Muntather for political reasons.

The Iraqi Federation of Lawyers said yesterday that what Muntather did reflects the deep frustration resulting from the abuse of Iraq citizens during the US occupation of Iraq during the past years, a time in which journalists have been and continue to be among the professions which have been most targeted and persecuted.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 136 journalists and 51 media workers have been killed in Iraq since 2003, making it the deadliest conflict for the press in recent history.

Regarding the fate of the shoes:

The government investigators claim that they tried to find out if there was a weapon hidden in Muntather’s shoes. In the process of this “investigation”, they claim, both shoes were cut into pieces.
So the material evidence is gone – and with it two powerful symbols – but the court case continues.

Regarding Muntather’s health condition:

After Muntather was tortured he was taken to an American hospital  – originally an Iraqi hospital now occupied by American forces – and treated there.  He has many injuries, one of them related to trauma he suffered when he was struck many times on his eye while in the custody of Iraqi security forces.

In other related events:

In Iraq, protests continue, and many Iraqi groups from across the society continue to call for Munthather’s release.

An Egyptian man has offered his daughter (who is currenty a college student) in marriage to Muntather (with his daughter’s permission), and has offered to cover all marriage expenses.

In Amman, Jordan, a comedy based on the shoe-throwing incident will be presented beginning on December 21.