An official in the speaker's office says he is unsure about the seriousness of Mahmoud al-Mashhadani's announcement, but says it may have made because he was nervous. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.
The speaker's announcement comes as the reporter, Muntadhar al-Zeidi, saw a judge Wednesday in his jail cell, his brother says, alleging he may have been too seriously injured to appear in a courtroom.
