Al-Zaidi was originally found guilty of assault after a trial in March and was sentenced to three years (out of a possible 15) in jail. But an Iraqi judge has agreed with al-Zaidi's appeal, changing his crime from assault to 'insulting a foreign leader' (a crime under Iraqi law) and reducing his sentence from three years to one. With time already served, it means al-Zaidi should get out of jail in September.
Al-Zaidi became a hero to many in the Middle East after he tossed both of his shoes at Bush during the President's press conference to mark his last visit to Baghdad last December. Throwing or hitting someone with a shoe is considered a grave insult in Arabic cultures. At his trial al-Zaidi said he threw his shoes at Bush because "I had the feeling that the blood of innocent people was dropping on my feet during the time that he was smiling and coming to say bye-bye to Iraq with a dinner."
A recent poll conducted by the BBC found that 62% of Iraqis consider Muntadar al-Zaidi to be a 'hero' for his actions.
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