A member of the Iraqi parliament has announced plans for a prison visit to the journalist who threw his shoes at the US president to assess the incarcerated man's living conditions, dpa reported.
Seinab al-Kanani and a brother of journalist Montazer al-Zaidi have petitioned a court for the right to visit al-Zaidi in prison, al-Kanani told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa on Sunday.
Al-Zaidi has been in prison since throwing his shoes at US President George W Bush during a December 14 press conference to protest Bush's policies in Iraq.
Relatives and supporters of al-Zaidi entered a third day of silent protests near Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, where both the Iraqi government and the US embassy are situated.
They are calling for al-Zaidi's release.
Strikes were also reported in Jordan as union members and labour associations rallied to al-Zaidi's cause.
Al-Kanani, who belongs to a political party aligned with radical Shiite preacher Moqtada al-Sadr, said he spoke to al-Zaidi by telephone on Saturday.
Al-Kanini said al-Zaidi said he was in good health and had not been tortured.
However, al-Zaidi said he was treated badly when initially arrested. He said security forces knocked out one of his teeth. He also sustained bruises to his face and shoulders.
Some legal experts say al-Zaidi could face up to 10 years in prison for assaulting Bush.
No court date has been set, though al- Zaidi had his first court appearance before an examining magistrate on Wednesday.