Freed Iraqi shoe thrower Muntazer al-Zaidi tells of torture in jail

By Gideon Swift | Published: September 15, 2009

Wearing an Iraqi flag, Zaidi gave a detailed account of being tortured after his arrest, and vowed to reveal the names of senior officials in the Iraqi government and army who he said had been involved in his mistreatment.

Appearing with a missing front tooth, he told of beatings, whippings and electric shocks after his arrest. He said he now feared for his life, and believed US intelligence agents would chase after him.

“These fearful services, the US intelligence services and its affiliated services, will spare no efforts to track me as an insurgent revolutionary … in a bid to kill me,” he told the news conference.

“And here I want to warn all my relatives and people close to me that these services will use all means to trap and try to kill and liquidate me either physically, socially or professionally.”

The reporter said he was abused immediately after his arrest, and the next day. He said he was beaten with iron bars, whipped with cords and electrocuted in the backyard of the building in the Green Zone.

“In the morning, I was left in the cold weather after they splashed me with water,” he said.

He went on to defend his assault on Bush. “Simply put, what incited me toward confrontation is the oppression that fell upon my people and how the occupation wanted to humiliate my homeland by placing it under its boots,” he said.

Zaidi said “throwing shoes against the war criminal Bush” was his answer to the cries of those bereaved by the conflict.

“The criminal murderer is standing here expecting us to throw flowers at him; this was my flower to the occupier.”