Thaindian News

Baghdad, Dec 21 (Xinhua) Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki Sunday said he would not file a lawsuit against the reporter who threw his shoes at US President George W. Bush during a news conference here last week.”I will yield my personal right (to file lawsuit) over the Zaidi case, but I will not relinquish the right of the state of Iraq and its guest in suing Zaidi,” Maliki told reporters here.

Muntadhar al-Zaidi, 29, a reporter of the Cairo-based Baghdadiya television, was taken in custody last Sunday after he threw his shoes on the visiting President Bush.

“If the Iraqi judiciary releases Zaidi, we won’t object that,” Maliki said.

“Investigations pointed out that an Iraqi figure who is involved in slaying many Iraqis was behind Zaidi’s act,” Maliki said without identifying the figure.

Maliki also denied reports saying that Zaidi was tortured in jail.

He warned Zaidi’s Baghdadiya television that it will be blamed if it does not renounce the act of Zaidi and continues hailing its reporter.

Many Iraqis took to streets in many cities protesting the detention of Zaidi and praised his throwing of both of his shoes at Bush as a heroic act.