Signs of Abuse? Iraqi Shoe-Throwing Journalist Kept from Court

Al Zaida was scheduled to appear in court today for the first hearings of charges against him for this weekend's shoe toss. But Iraqi officials did not let him appear and his family is very worried about what this means:

The Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at United States President George W. Bush has appeared before a judge in his jail cell because he is too injured to appear in a courtroom, his brother says.

The al-Zaidi family went to Baghdad's Central Criminal Court expecting to attend a hearing, his brother, Dhargham, said.

He said the family was told that the investigative judge went to see al-Zaidi in jail, and to return in eight days, Associated Press has reported.

"That means my brother was severely beaten and they fear that his appearance could trigger anger at the court,'' Dhargham said.