Iraq policemen arrested after man handcuffed to dying wife’s hospital bed

Police in the Iraqi province of Kirkuk have arrested three officers after a suspect was handcuffed to his wife’s hospital bed, where she died of complications from the COVID-19 virus. The arrests were made after video of the shocking incident went viral on social media, reports Rudaw.

It has been revealed that 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 bed on Monday, following an argument with medical staff over his wife’s care.

Karim, who has also been diagnosed with coronavirus, got into an altercation reportedly after health workers removed two of the three oxygen cylinders that he had bought for his wife himself. He then got into scuffle with the workers and damaged some equipment in the process while attempting to stop them from removing the cylinders.

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Police then intervened and restrained Karim, which led to him being handcuffed. The teacher claims staff did not “listen” to his pleas, and his wife eventually succumbed to the virus right in front of him.

Brigadier Ali Mutashar, deputy commander of Kirkuk police, said yesterday: “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.

Kirkuk Public Hospital has since filed a lawsuit against Karim over the damage caused. He was briefly detained before being released on bail. It has been reported that six Kurdish lawyers have agreed to represent him voluntarily. The KRG Education Minister, Alan Hama-Saeed, said he is following the case and has also extended his support to his employee.

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