Man who threw shoe at President Bush in court

The Iraqi journalist who hurled his shoes at President George W. Bush was expected to appear before a judge today in a first step of a complex legal process that could end in a criminal trial.

Muntadhar al-Zeidi has been in custody since Monday.

Iraqi authorities sent the case to the Central Criminal Court of Iraq, which handles security and terrorism cases.

An investigative judge will review the evidence and decide whether al-Zeidi should stand trial - a process that could take months.

Maitham al-Zeidi said his brother sounded fit, despite claims by another brother that he had suffered a severe beating.