Dheyaa al-Saadi
Encyclopedia
Dheyaa al-Saadi is an Iraq
i lawyer
. As leader of the Iraqi Bar Association
, he protested against the Iraqi government's dissolution of the association's elected council in March 2006. In December 2008, he became the head of the legal team chosen by al-Baghdadia TV
to defend Muntadhar al-Zaidi
, an Iraq
i broadcast journalist
working for al-Baghdadia who was under detention after having thrown his shoes at U.S. president George W. Bush
on December 14, 2008.
, a lawyer participating in the defence of one of Saddam Hussein's co-accused, stating "This will have grave repercussions. This will hinder lawyers from defending those held for political reasons."
In March 2006, in his role as chairman of the Iraqi Bar Association, al-Saadi criticised the Iraqi government's dismissal of the association's council, arguing that the council had been created as the result of "free and fair elections". He said that the association included members of "divergent political factions and groups" and should "remain a symbol of Iraq's unity" rather than being "politicized". He claimed that the association was one of the "few" organisations in Iraq that was defending "civil and political rights and [guaranteeing] the rule of law". On November 16, 2006, al-Saadi was elected as president of the association with about 70% of the votes. The De-Ba'athification Commission annulled his election on the grounds that he had previously been a member of the Baath Party
.
i broadcast journalist
working for al-Baghdadia TV
, Muntadhar al-Zaidi
, threw his shoes at U.S. president George W. Bush
and stated that this was on behalf of "the widows and orphans and all those killed in Iraq". He was detained by security forces. Al-Baghdadia organised a team of lawyers headed by al-Saadi to provide al-Zaidi's legal defence. On December 21, al-Saadi contacted Agence France Presse about his client's case. He said that al-Zaidi had filed a complaint against the security forces who allegedly assaulted him during the hours following his arrest and that medical evidence established the nature of al-Zaidi's injuries. On December 22, al-Saadi stated that al-Zaidi is presently accused of "aggression against a foreign head of state during an official visit", for which the penalty is between 5 and 15 years' imprisonment. He stated that he would demand a reduction to a lesser charge, since "the act was an insult, not an aggression".
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
. As leader of the Iraqi Bar Association
Iraqi Bar Association
The Iraqi Bar Association , created in 1933, is the biggest lawyers' association in Iraq, with tens of thousands of members as of 2007...
, he protested against the Iraqi government's dissolution of the association's elected council in March 2006. In December 2008, he became the head of the legal team chosen by al-Baghdadia TV
Al-Baghdadia TV
Al-Baghdadia TV is an independent Iraqi-owned Arabic-language satellite channel based in Cairo, Egypt. It is considered a Nationalistic channel of funding directly and only from the CEO. During the Iraqi insurgency, several prominent journalists with the station were murdered...
to defend Muntadhar al-Zaidi
Muntadhar al-Zaidi
Muntadhar al-Zaidi is an Iraqi broadcast journalist who served as a correspondent for Iraqi-owned, Egyptian-based Al-Bagh. , al-Zaidi works with a Lebanese TV channel....
, an Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i broadcast journalist
Broadcast journalism
Broadcast journalism is the field of news and journals which are "broadcast", that is, published by electrical methods, instead of the older methods, such as printed newspapers and posters. Broadcast methods include radio , television , and, especially recently, the Internet generally...
working for al-Baghdadia who was under detention after having thrown his shoes at U.S. president George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
on December 14, 2008.
Iraqi Bar Association
In October 2005, in his role as a "senior official" in the Iraqi Bar Association, al-Saadi criticised the assassination of Saadoun Sughaiyer al-JanabiSaadoun Sughaiyer al-Janabi
Known as a defence attorney during the Hussein Trials, Saadoun antar nassif al-Janabi was one of two lawyers representing Awad Hamed al-Bandar....
, a lawyer participating in the defence of one of Saddam Hussein's co-accused, stating "This will have grave repercussions. This will hinder lawyers from defending those held for political reasons."
In March 2006, in his role as chairman of the Iraqi Bar Association, al-Saadi criticised the Iraqi government's dismissal of the association's council, arguing that the council had been created as the result of "free and fair elections". He said that the association included members of "divergent political factions and groups" and should "remain a symbol of Iraq's unity" rather than being "politicized". He claimed that the association was one of the "few" organisations in Iraq that was defending "civil and political rights and [guaranteeing] the rule of law". On November 16, 2006, al-Saadi was elected as president of the association with about 70% of the votes. The De-Ba'athification Commission annulled his election on the grounds that he had previously been a member of the Baath Party
Baath Party
The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party was a political party mixing Arab nationalist and Arab socialist interests, opposed to Western imperialism, and calling for the renaissance or resurrection and unification of the Arab world into a single state. Ba'ath is also spelled Ba'th or Baath and means...
.
Defence of al-Zaidi
On December 14, 2008, an IraqIraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i broadcast journalist
Broadcast journalism
Broadcast journalism is the field of news and journals which are "broadcast", that is, published by electrical methods, instead of the older methods, such as printed newspapers and posters. Broadcast methods include radio , television , and, especially recently, the Internet generally...
working for al-Baghdadia TV
Al-Baghdadia TV
Al-Baghdadia TV is an independent Iraqi-owned Arabic-language satellite channel based in Cairo, Egypt. It is considered a Nationalistic channel of funding directly and only from the CEO. During the Iraqi insurgency, several prominent journalists with the station were murdered...
, Muntadhar al-Zaidi
Muntadhar al-Zaidi
Muntadhar al-Zaidi is an Iraqi broadcast journalist who served as a correspondent for Iraqi-owned, Egyptian-based Al-Bagh. , al-Zaidi works with a Lebanese TV channel....
, threw his shoes at U.S. president George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and stated that this was on behalf of "the widows and orphans and all those killed in Iraq". He was detained by security forces. Al-Baghdadia organised a team of lawyers headed by al-Saadi to provide al-Zaidi's legal defence. On December 21, al-Saadi contacted Agence France Presse about his client's case. He said that al-Zaidi had filed a complaint against the security forces who allegedly assaulted him during the hours following his arrest and that medical evidence established the nature of al-Zaidi's injuries. On December 22, al-Saadi stated that al-Zaidi is presently accused of "aggression against a foreign head of state during an official visit", for which the penalty is between 5 and 15 years' imprisonment. He stated that he would demand a reduction to a lesser charge, since "the act was an insult, not an aggression".