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Sign petition to support al-Zeidi: here at CodePink.
KW: I am extremely concerned that the world was promised a “court appearance” by the eloquent shoe-thrower, Muntader al-Zeidi. Yet, he never appeared. The court only claimed that he had seen a judge with a court-appointed lawyer. Since there are conflicting accounts on if he was beaten in custody, it is of utmost importance that his family and real lawyers be allowed to see him right away. I hope that people put the pressure on in that regard, in addition to the pressure to release him. I know that I will not forget this man. If something happens to him, I will write poems, sing songs, and make videos in praise of him and against the Iraqi government, and United States government which we all know has the power to save him.
Speaking of videos, on WBAI, someone reflected on the fact that Muntader had been kidnapped last year. And, in order to gain his release, his television station created a two hour video celebrating his life, to appeal to the captors and the public for empathy. I hope that people will show that video in Iraq and America now, so that we can all understand this man who helped us articulate our disdain for George Bush and his policies in Iraq.
Below is an excerpt from the article about the court appearance:
December 17, 2008
Iraqi Justice System Swallows Shoe-Thrower
by Tucker Reals
Our crew just returned from Baghdad’s Central Court, where al-Zeidi did not appear as expected. His family and a team of defense lawyers hired by his employer, Baghdadiya TV, had been told that his preliminary hearing would take place today, and they arrived at court with the reasonable expectation that they could see the accused and provide legal representation for him.
Instead, they were given a second-hand account of a hearing that had already taken place. The Central Court judge told al-Zeidi’s lawyers that one of his colleagues had finished the investigative proceeding against the accused yesterday, in a session that took place in the heavily-fortified Green Zone.
Today’s judge announced that al-Zeidi had admitted assaulting President Bush and resisting arrest. According to this account, al-Zeidi said he resisted because he was “nervous and confused” and he added that he would not press charges against security agents who beat him during the incident.
Filed under: Action Alert!, Anti-War, international politics, Iraq, News, Peace, Political Websites, progressive politics, social & economic justice, US Politics, war Tagged: | al-Zaidi, al-Zeidi, bush, court, Government, Human Rights, Iraq, judge, justice, laws, shoe, throw, video, war
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