BAGHDAD, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Muntadhar al-Zaidi, the Iraqi television reporter who threw his shoes at former U.S. President George W. Bush, is expected to be released Tuesday, his brother said.

    "I received a phone call from my brother who told me he won't be released today because of some delays, most likely they will free him tomorrow," Durgham al-Zaidi told Xinhua.

    Dozens of media workers and fans of Zaidi are gathering outside a complex of judicial and security headquarters at the edge of the abandoned al-Muthanna airport in central Baghdad, waiting for his release.

    Zaidi, the reporter of the Cairo-based al-Baghdadiyah Iraqi satellite channel, has been in custody since Dec. 14 when he threw his shoes at Bush during a joint press conference with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in Baghdad.

    Following the incident, Zaidi has become a hero across the Arab world and gained world fame for hurling his shoes at Bush.

    "There are some obstacles that may delay his release today, but hopefully if not today he will be released on Tuesday," Zaidi's lawyer Diaa al-Saadi told Xinhua on telephone.

    Initially, Zaidi was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading not guilty of assaulting a foreign leader. The court reduced the term to one year because Zaidi had no criminal history.

    Later, Zaidi got a cut of 25 percent of his sentence due to his good behavior in line with the Iraqi law.

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