Hundreds took to the streets to demand his release.[9] Al-Zaidi could have faced charges of insulting a foreign leader and the Iraqi prime minister. A conviction of these charges could have carried a sentence of up to two years in prison or a small fine, although it would have been unlikely to face the maximum penalty given his newfound "cult status" in the Arab world, according to a Middle-East observer.[10] An Iraqi lawyer stated that al-Zaidi was likely to get at least two years in prison if he was prosecuted.[11] Al-Zaidi went before a judge on December 17, 2008.