U.S.: Zaidi torture claims 'very' serious

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 (UPI) -- Washington takes allegations that shoe-throwing Iraqi journalist Muntadar al-Zaidi was abused in prison "very seriously," a State Department spokesman said.

An Iraqi court released Zaidi under a conditional release on Tuesday following his December imprisonment for dishonoring a head of state.

In December, Zaidi, a journalist with al-Baghdadia television station, threw two shoes at visiting U.S. President George W. Bush, saying it was a "farewell kiss" to the American "dog."

Zaidi during a news conference following his release made various allegations he was tortured in prison, accusing Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of "hiding the truth" about his claims.

Ian Kelly, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department, said that Washington did not take such allegations lightly, calling on Baghdad to examine the claims.

"I think that we saw that he made some pretty serious allegations of human rights abuses," he said. "And of course, these kinds of accusations we take very seriously, and we trust that the Iraqi government will take them seriously as well."

Zaidi accompanied his brother, Dhirgham al-Zaidi, to Greece on Wednesday for medical treatment, claiming he suffers from enduring physical and psychological trauma.