Libyan group gives courage award to shoe-throwing reporter

Meanwhile Monday, a Libyan charity group headed by the daughter of Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi, bestowed an award of courage on Zaidi for the incident.

The charity group "Wa Attassimou" also urged the Iraqi government to release al-Zaidi from custody.

"Waatassimou group has taken the decision to give Muntazer al-Zaidi the courage award ... because what he did represents a victory for human rights across the world," the group, headed by Aicha Gadhafi, said in a statement.

The group said the Iraqi authorities should honor the journalist for his actions.

Aicha, a lawyer by training, was fiercely opposed to the U.S. invasion of Iraq . She offered to defend Saddam Hussein after his capture by U.S. forces from an underground hideout at the end of 2003.

After years of tension between Libya and the United States there have been recent indications that ties between the two countries were warming.