ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - An Iraqi engineer, who was admitted into the hospital after being subjected to physical assault in a Baghdad prison days earlier, died on Monday, with his death sparking controversy online with accusations suggesting he was violently tortured.

Bashir Khalid Latif was arrested by security forces in Baghdad in late March under unclear circumstances. His arrest already stirred controversy, with his family slamming his detainment as “unlawful”. However, the backlash against the authorities grew stronger after Latif was admitted into the hospital days later, prompting a clarification from the interior ministry.

During a press conference on Saturday, the Iraqi interior ministry said that Latif was arrested in the early hours of March 28 after getting into an altercation with a federal police officer.

The ministry claimed that Latif had attempted to enter a residential complex in the Iraqi capital on the eve of March 28, saying that he was invited over for a Suhoor meal – a meal Muslims consume before dawn before commencing their fast during Ramadhan.

After being denied entry from the security forces, Latif allegedly climbed the fence into the complex hours later, heading toward the apartment of Major General Abbas Ali al-Tamimi. Tamimi had denied knowing Latif or having any sort of relationship with him.

The ministry accused Latif of looking through the peephole of the officer’s door, leading to a violent altercation between Latif and Tamimi with his sons. Both sides were taken to a nearby police station following the altercation, with Latif later hospitalized as he was bleeding from his head as a result of the fight.

The ministry denied that Latif was tortured or beaten by security forces in prison, and published a video recorded from inside the facility where Latif was held, claiming that the engineer was assaulted by other inmates after he allegedly tried to steal someone else’s clothing.

The video was not enough to convince the angry masses online, with many suggesting that the inmates were agents of Tamimi and that the assault came in accordance with his directives.

After days in the hospital, Latif was pronounced dead on Monday morning after his oxygen levels significantly dropped and his blood pressure rapidly rose, according to a statement from Iraqi lawmaker Mohammed al-Khafaji.

Nashat Nafil al-Bakri, Latif’s cousin, said that his cousin died with his body “covered in traces of torture as a witness to the brutality and barbarity of this state,” calling for retribution against those responsible for his death.

“Shame on the Iraqi people if they remain silent. Shame on the state if it remains silent. Shame on humanity if it does not rise up today in Iraq,” wrote Bakri in a Facebook statement.

The Iraqi Engineers Union condemned Latif’s death in a statement, demanding the entire truth be revealed and those responsible are held accountable “regardless of their influence and position.”

“The death of Engineer Bashir Khalid as a result of torture is not just a passing incident, but rather a blatant assault on the dignity of the Iraqi person, and a flagrant violation of the human values ​​upon which civilized societies are founded, and it must cause a corrective earthquake for all institutions concerned with dealing with citizens,” said the union.

The Iraq Center for Human Rights also offered condolences to Latif’s family, highlighting the ongoing issue of violations against inmates in Iraqi prisons, which the rights watchdog said authorities have not displayed “seriousness” in resolving.

The center called for a “neutral” investigation into the incident and urged respecting international laws and charters regarding human rights.

Later in the day, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani ordered the formation of a high investigative committee into the case from the start of the incident until Latif’s death, offering condolences to the engineer’s family and loved ones, and noting that the results of the probe will be released to the public once completed.

“We emphasize that this incident and what happened to the deceased will not pass without holding those responsible accountable and determining the real reasons that led to his death,” Sabah al-Numan, spokesperson for the Iraqi Commander-in-Chief Sudani, said in a statement.

Iraqi Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari has issued a cease-and-desist order against Tamimi until the investigation is concluded.

“We affirm that we will not be lenient with anyone who dares to harm Iraqis or act outside the legal framework, far from the principles of human rights and dignity,” Numan added in his statement on Monday.