Shoe-thrower sentenced to three years in prison

A Baghdad court has sentenced Muntazer al-Zaidi, an Iraqi reporter who hurled his shoes at former U.S. President George W. Bush, to three years in prison, according to his employer, Al-Baghdadiya television.A Baghdad court sentenced an Iraqi reporter who hurled his shoes at former U.S. president George W. Bush to three years in prison on Thursday. Muntazer al-Zaidi worked for Al-Baghdadiya television, and earned instant worldwide fame when he threw his shoes at Bush at a news conference in December, calling him a dog. "This sentence is harsh and is not in harmony with the law, and eventually the defence team will contest this in the appeals court," said Dhiaa al-Saadi, the head of Zaidi's defence team. Zaidi's sister Ruqaiya burst into tears, shouting "Down with Maliki, the agent of the Americans," referring to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. Zaidi's brother, Uday, said the verdict was politically motivated.