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Iraq
Mohammed Karim is seen handcuffed to the hospital bed of his wife, Muna Ismael. File photo: Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Kirkuk police arrested three of their own in connection with the handcuffing of a man to his wife’s hospital bed where she died of complications from the COVID-19 virus. The arrests come after video of the incident went viral on social media.
Mohammed Karim, a Kurd who works as a teacher in Kirkuk for the Kurdistan Regional Government’s ministry of education, was handcuffed to his wife’s hospital bed on Monday after he quarreled with medical staff over his wife’s care.
Brigadier Ali Mutashar, deputy commander of Kirkuk police, told Rudaw on Thursday, “The three policemen from Qoriya police station, who tied Mohammed to the bed of his wife at hospital, have been detained and are currently under investigation.”
The Iraqi Interior Ministry formed a committee to investigate the case, Mutashar added. The committee members arrived in Kirkuk late on Thursday.
The dispute between Karim and hospital staff began when health workers took away two of the three oxygen tanks he bought for his wife. Karim said he got into a scuffle with health workers when they removed the oxygen tanks. He also smashed some hospital equipment.
After his wife died, Kirkuk Public Hospital filed a lawsuit against Karim for the damage he caused. Karim was briefly detained before being released on bail.
Six Kurdish lawyers are voluntarily representing Karim.
Pola Ghazi, one of the lawyers, told Rudaw, “We are a group of six Kurdish lawyers who have voluntarily taken the case.”
Video showing Karim cuffed to the bed went viral, sparking public anger, especially among Kurds and Kurdish officials and politicians.
The Kurdistan Regional Government’s education minister Alan Hama-Saeed said in a statement on Thursday that he would follow the case of his employee and would provide any assistance needed.
Mohammed Karim, a Kurd who works as a teacher in Kirkuk for the Kurdistan Regional Government’s ministry of education, was handcuffed to his wife’s hospital bed on Monday after he quarreled with medical staff over his wife’s care.
Brigadier Ali Mutashar, deputy commander of Kirkuk police, told Rudaw on Thursday, “The three policemen from Qoriya police station, who tied Mohammed to the bed of his wife at hospital, have been detained and are currently under investigation.”
The Iraqi Interior Ministry formed a committee to investigate the case, Mutashar added. The committee members arrived in Kirkuk late on Thursday.
The dispute between Karim and hospital staff began when health workers took away two of the three oxygen tanks he bought for his wife. Karim said he got into a scuffle with health workers when they removed the oxygen tanks. He also smashed some hospital equipment.
After his wife died, Kirkuk Public Hospital filed a lawsuit against Karim for the damage he caused. Karim was briefly detained before being released on bail.
Six Kurdish lawyers are voluntarily representing Karim.
Pola Ghazi, one of the lawyers, told Rudaw, “We are a group of six Kurdish lawyers who have voluntarily taken the case.”
Video showing Karim cuffed to the bed went viral, sparking public anger, especially among Kurds and Kurdish officials and politicians.
The Kurdistan Regional Government’s education minister Alan Hama-Saeed said in a statement on Thursday that he would follow the case of his employee and would provide any assistance needed.
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