Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al- Maliki said Sunday that he will not file a lawsuit against the reporter who threw his shoes at U.S. President George W. Bush during a news conference in Baghdad last week.

"I will yield my personal right (to file lawsuit) over the Zaidi case, but I will not relinquish the right of the state of Iraq and its guest in suing Zaidi," Maliki told a news conference in Baghdad.

Muntadhar al-Zaidi, 29, reporter of Cairo-based Baghdadiya television, was held in custody on Sunday night last week after throwing his shoes on the visiting President Bush.

"If the Iraqi judiciary releases Zaidi, we won't object that," Maliki said.

"Investigations pointed out that an Iraqi figure who is involved in slaying many Iraqis was behind Zaidi's act," Maliki said without identifying the figure.

Maliki also denied reports saying that Zaidi was tortured in the jail.

He warned Zaidi's Baghdadiya television that it will be blamed if it does not renounce the act of Zaidi and continues hailing its reporter.

Many Iraqis took to streets in many cities protesting the detention of Zaidi and praised his throwing of both of his shoes at Bush as a heroic act.