Update on Muntazar al-Zaidi: How Badly Was He Beaten?

Many US and British Sunday newspapers have summary stories on Iraqi Shoe-Gate, but only one is of significance. Afif Sarwan writes in The Observer of London:

Witnesses to his arrest and imprisonment have told the Observer Zaidi was badly beaten, during and after his arrest last Sunday, and that he risks losing the sight in one of his eyes as a result.

A police officer told Sarwan that al-Zaidi was not just beaten at the scene of his alleged crime but throughout his journey to the police station. According to the officer, this is when al-Zaidi's suffered at least one broken rib:

I felt sorry when I saw them beating him. His mouth was badly injured and he did not utter a single word throughout until one of the guards hit him in his left eye with a gun. Then he cried out that he couldn't see, and I saw blood inside his eye. I am a police officer but even I have to say I felt proud of what he did.

A doctor called to examine al-Zaidi said he had hematomas, bruises indicating internal bleeding, across his body and "particularly on his left leg, shoulders, face, and head". Specialists were called in to prevent bleeding which might threaten al-Zaidi's sight.