Shoe-throwing Iraqi journalist released from jail
16:37 15/09/2009 MOSCOW, September 15 (RIA Novosti) - An Iraqi journalist, who was jailed after he threw his shoes at then-U.S. president George Bush last December, was released from prison on Tuesday, CNN reported.
Muntazer al-Zaidi, 30, an Iraqi correspondent for the Cairo-based Al-Baghdadiya TV channel, hurled his shoes at Bush during a news conference in Baghdad and shouted in Arabic: "This is a farewell kiss from the Iraqi people, dog." Bush managed to duck out of the way as each shoe flew past.
The journalist, who was serving a one-year sentence in prison for his act of protest, was given a "conditional discharge" for his good behavior, but remained unapologetic for what he had done, CNN said.
"I got my chance and I didn't miss it," the journalist was quoted by the TV channel as saying shortly after he was freed from jail.
Asked about his motives, Al-Zaidi told journalists he "was compelled to act," and that if he got the opportunity, he would seek revenge for those affected by the war with the U.S.
"I am not a hero and I admit that," CNN quoted the journalist as saying. "I am a person with a stance. I saw my country burning."
The shoe thrower was earlier expected to be released on Monday, but red tape prevented that from happening.
Al-Zaidi first went on trial on February 19 and was originally sentenced to a three-year prison term in March. The court described his actions as an assault on a leader of a foreign country during an official visit. However, speculation about his early release first appeared in the media in April.
The journalist's actions have made him a hero in many Arab countries, including Iraq, where a 3.5-meter (11' 6") sculpture of a shoe was unveiled at an orphanage in the north of the country. However, the tribute to al-Zaidi was taken down after just a day following instructions from the Iraqi government.
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