“The Mission is deeply concerned about reports the victim suffered from traumatic injuries during detention and was transferred to hospital where he died on 7 April, 10 days after having been taken into custody and held in a police station first and then in a detention centre,” UNAMI said on X.
Lateef, an engineer, was arrested on March 30 in Baghdad’s al-A'amiriya neighborhood. In a video published on Saturday, the Iraqi interior ministry said that Lateef was filmed “sneaking through a fence” to enter an apartment in a residential complex reportedly belonging to Major General Abbas al-Tamimi. According to the ministry, a fight broke out between Lateef and Tamimi’s sons before police detained him.
The ministry said Lateef was taken to a detention center, where security camera footage purportedly showed him being “severely beaten” by other detainees.
In the statement, UNAMI said it “emphasizes the importance of conducting a fair, transparent, and independent investigation that leads to accountability for those responsible for human rights abuses, and the adoption of measures and procedures to prevent their recurrence.”
Sabah al-Numan, spokesperson for both the Iraqi Joint Operations Command and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, revealed on Monday that Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani has directed a “high-level investigative committee” to investigate Lateef’s death.
He stressed that the incident “will not pass without holding those responsible accountable and determining the true reasons that led to his death.”
“We affirm that we will not be lenient with anyone who dares to harm Iraqis or act outside the legal framework, disregarding the principles of human rights and dignity,” Numan added.
Interior Minister Abdul-Amir al-Shammari visited Lateef at the hospital before his death, according to a Sunday statement from his office.
On Saturday, the interior ministry noted that six detainees had confessed to beating Lateef. It also said the investigative committee handling the case had “condemned” the guards at the detention center “for not controlling the detainees,” adding that both the guards and the complainant, Major General Tamimi, were being investigated. The ministry said Tamimi was being investigated “for exceeding the limits and powers of his job,” without providing further details.
Lateef’s family had condemned his detention as “unlawful.”
