The trial of Muntazer al-Zaidi, the Iraqi man who threw his shoes at US President George W. Bush, will start on Wednesday. -- REUTERS
BAGHDAD - THE trial of Muntazer al-Zaidi, the Iraqi man who threw his shoes at US President George W. Bush, will start on Wednesday, Dec 31, his judge investigating his case told AFP on Monday.
'The investigations phase is over, and a new step has started, which is transferring the case to the Central Criminal Court of Iraq and the trial will start on Wednesday, Dec 31.'
'It will take place in the same court, in the presence of the media,' Muntazer's investigating judge Dhiya al-Kenani said.
'We didn't change Muntazer's charges after the investigations phase,' he added.
The journalist stands accused of 'aggression against a foreign head of state during an official visit', an offence that carries a prison term of between five and 15 years under Iraqi law.
But the court could convict him of the lesser charge of an 'attempted aggression' which carries a prison term of one to five years. -- AFP
