伊拉克砸鞋記者被判三年監禁

The Iraqi journalist who threw shoes at then-President George W. Bush responded defiantly Thursday when a court convicted him of assaulting a foreign leader and sentenced him to three years in prison, shouting "long live Iraq" when the verdict was read.

Muntadhar al-Zeidi's bold act in December electrified many across the Middle East who consider him a hero for defiantly expressing his anger at a president who is widely disliked for his decision to invade Iraq in 2003.

The 30-year-old journalist pleaded not guilty to the assault charge Wednesday, telling the three-judge panel that "what I did was a natural response to the occupation."

Reporters and family members were then ordered out of the courtroom for the verdict, which was relayed to them by defense attorneys and a court official.

Some of al-Zeidi's relatives collapsed after the ruling was issued and had to be helped out of the courthouse. Others were forcibly removed by guards after shouting "down with Bush" and "long live Iraq."

"This judiciary is not just," al-Zeidi's brother, Dargham, said tearfully after Wednesday's verdict was announced.

Court spokesman Abdul-Sattar Bayrkdar said al-Zeidi received the minimum sentence for the assault charge but could appeal the conviction. He could have received up to 15 years in prison for hurling his shoes at Bush during a December 14 press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

Defense lawyers said the judge showed leniency because of al-Zeidi's age and clean record. But they had hoped for an even lighter sentence, arguing the journalist's actions constituted an insult rather than an assault.

"The sentence was unexpectedly harsh," said Yehya al-Eitabi, one of some two dozen defense lawyers who attended Thursday's hearing and said they would appeal the verdict.

His assessment was shared by some in Baghdad.

"Al-Zeidi should have been honored and not sent to prison," said Salam Omar who owns a cell phone shop in eastern Baghdad.

The journalist has been in Iraqi custody since the shoe incident. Bush quickly ducked to avoid being hit and was not injured. Al-Zeidi was quickly wrestled to the ground by guards and dragged away.

本週四，伊拉克一家法院以攻擊外國領導人的罪名判處用鞋砸美國時任總統布什的伊拉克記者三年監禁，這名記者當庭抗議，並在宣讀判決時高呼“伊拉克萬歲”。

去年12月，伊拉克記者蒙塔茲•扎伊迪公然表達了自己對美國前總統布什的憤怒情緒，他的大膽行爲在中東地區引發了強烈反響，人們將他視爲英雄。布什因2003年發動伊拉克戰爭而受到廣泛指責。

本週三，面對攻擊外國領導人的指控，30歲的扎伊迪堅稱自己無罪，並對三人陪審團說“他的所作所爲是對美國侵佔伊拉克的一種本能反應。”

判決期間記者和扎伊迪的家人被要求在庭外等候，判決結果由辯護律師和一名法庭官員向他們轉告。

判決宣佈後，扎伊迪的一些親屬當場暈倒，只能被攙扶出法庭，而另一些人則因高呼“打倒布什”和“伊拉克萬歲”被警衛強行帶走。

在本週三判決結果公佈後，扎伊迪的哥哥德爾加姆流着眼淚說：“司法官不公正”。

法庭發言人Abdul-Sattar Bayrkdar稱，這對扎伊迪所犯的罪行來說已經是最輕的判罰，但他還可以提出上訴。根據法律，扎伊迪原本可能會被判處15年的監禁。去年12月14日，在美國前總統布什和伊拉克總理努裏•馬利基聯合召開的一個新聞發佈會上，扎伊迪將鞋砸向了布什。

辯護律師稱，考慮到扎伊迪的年齡且沒有前科，法官已經寬大處理。但他們本希望判決會更輕，稱扎伊迪的行爲只能構成侮辱而非攻擊罪。

辯護律師團成員Yehya al-Eitabi說：“判決過重，出乎我們的意料。”由約二十人組成的辯護律師團參加了本週四的聽證會，並表示他們將上訴。

巴格達的一些民衆也持同樣看法。

巴格達東部一家手機店鋪的老闆薩拉姆•奧馬爾說：“扎伊迪得到的應該是榮譽，而不是把他送進監獄。”

鞋襲事件後，扎伊迪一直被拘禁在伊拉克。事發時布什迅速俯身躲過了飛鞋，並未受傷，扎伊迪隨即被警衛制服在地並被拖走。