Muntadhar Al-Zeid, jailed after throwing his shoes at President George W. Bush, got a visit from his brother Friday and a birthday party from his guards as he turned 30. Al-Zeidi, who has been in custody since Dec. 14 outburst at Bush's joint conference with Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki, is in good shape but has been denied access to his lawyer, relatives said after his brother Maitham visited him in his detention cell in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone. Concern was raised about his welfare after allegations that he had been severely beaten and tortured in detention. The judge investigating the case has said the journalist was struck about the face and eyes, apparently by security agents who wrestled him to the floor after he hurled his shoes. Another brother, Dhargham, said he was told the wounds had healed. “Muntadhar was in a good shape ... and his morale was high. Yesterday was his birthday and some patriotic officers there organized a party for him and brought birthday cake,” he said. Al-Zeidi had been due to face a trial in December on a charge of assaulting a foreign leader, which his defense team said carried a maximum sentence of 15 years. But an appellate court is considering a motion to reduce the charges to simply insulting Bush.
