Critical Care Interrupted by Arrest
Muhsin Ali Kani, a 22-year-old Iraqi man detained for drug use, died in police custody in late June 2026, a day after officers removed him from a hospital in the southern city of Najaf where he was being treated for severe abdominal pain.
According to Human Rights Watch, Kani checked into Al-Najaf Teaching Hospital on June 25, 2026, seeking treatment because he was experiencing severe abdominal pain. Family members later stated that Kani had swallowed four bags containing crystal methamphetamine.
While Kani was receiving medical care, a friend alerted his family that his health was worsening. His mother, brother, and uncle rushed to the facility. Shortly after their arrival, members of the Najaf General Directorate for Anti-Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Affairs arrived. An uncle of the victim recounted that officers informed them a doctor had reported Kani for drug use. Human Rights Watch received confirmation from a physician at Al Hussein Medical City in Karbala that medical personnel are legally mandated to report patients to the police when they identify current or past drug consumption.
Spiking Heart Rate Ignored in Transfer
Although police initially agreed to let Kani finish his treatment, officers arrested him and removed him from the hospital. The uncle noted that at the time of the transfer, Kani’s heart rate was around 170 beats per minute, well above normal for a man that age.
The following day, the Anti-Narcotics Directorate contacted the family to bring identification documents. Upon arrival, officials directed the uncle to the Health Ministry’s forensic medicine department, where staff confirmed that members of drug police had delivered Kani’s body at around 10 a.m.
Autopsy Confirms Overdose Amid Superficial Injuries
The Najaf General Directorate for Anti-Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Affairs, part of the Interior Ministry, issued a statement to local media asserting that Kani was detained after tests confirmed drug use and his own disclosures to medical staff confirmed he swallowed four bags of crystal methamphetamine. The directorate claimed that Kani experienced a medical decline while officers were transferring him back to the station from the hospital, while also reporting the establishment of an inquiry panel to probe the death’s circumstances and penalize any culpable parties.
A subsequent autopsy report, cited in a July 2 statement from the General Directory, listed the cause of death as a methamphetamine overdose. The examination revealed two plastic-wrapped rolls, a third open roll containing white powder inside Kani’s stomach, and a fourth wrapped roll in the upper colon cavity. Laboratory tests confirmed methamphetamine in the rolls, urine, and stomach contents.
The forensic report also documented external abrasions on Kani’s wrists (“marks of handcuff restraint”), along with marks on his elbow, right forearm, and right knee. The report characterized these injuries as superficial and noted they could not have caused death on their own. An independent forensic pathology expert from Physicians for Human Rights, reviewing family photographs and the autopsy report, noted horizontal lines across the lower and mid-back that could be contusions/bruises from blows with a linear object, though the findings remained inconclusive. The independent pathologist agreed that additional autopsy findings—such as foam, lip cyanosis, conjunctival hyperemia, stomach congestion and irritation, kidney congestion, as well as pulmonary congestion and edema—are either non-specific signs or stem directly from methamphetamine poisoning.
Calls for Impartial Investigation Into Custody Death
Adam Coogle, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, emphasized the gravity of the situation. “Any death in state custody raises questions around the treatment of a detainee, but detention while receiving medical treatment should sound alarm bells,” Coogle said. “Iraqi authorities should impartially investigate not only the cause of death, but also the decision to remove him from medical care and transfer him to detention despite his apparent health condition.”
A Broader Crackdown and Persistent Allegations
Three individuals, including Kani, have reportedly died while held in state custody within Najaf during 2026, with the prior two fatalities allegedly stemming from mistreatment. A local journalist monitoring the region noted that police in Najaf have long been accused of torturing detainees, including a method locally known as al-shawaya (grill or rotisserie), where detainees’ hands are tied behind their backs and they are suspended while being beaten.
As part of its heightened campaign against illegal narcotics, Iraqi law enforcement operations aimed at local and transnational smuggling networks resulted in the confiscation of over 1.7 tons of prohibited substances throughout 2026. Shafaq News reports indicate that during the same year, 2026, Iraqi tribunals have handed down 42 death penalties and 357 life imprisonment terms to individuals convicted of drug trafficking offences.
Kani’s family initially refused to receive his body until authorities opened an investigation into the incident. Following an autopsy conducted after an investigative committee from Baghdad was formed, the family received the body on June 29. Human Rights Watch emphasized that a thorough, unbiased, and open inquiry is vital to uncover all the facts, hold responsible parties accountable for any misconduct, and rebuild public trust in the legal system.
