Iraqi shoe thrower claims he was tortured

The Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at former US President George Bush was released today after nine months in prison, and in a defiant address he accused Iraqi security forces of torturing him with beatings, whippings and electric shocks.

Muntadhar al-Zeidi’s stunning act of protest last December made him a hero for many in the Arab and Muslim worlds, where many blamed Bush for the bloodshed in Iraq.