Diwaniya detainee in hospital after setting himself on fire in police custody

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A 26-year-old detainee at a Family and Child Police Center in the southern Iraqi city of Diwaniya set himself on fire during a police check on August 13, 2026, and was hospitalized in serious condition, local police said. According to Diwaniya Police Directorate sources, the man collected trash in the facility's outdoor area and set it ablaze, spilling the fire over parts of his body. Officials said he was awaiting release on bail in several cases filed against him and relatives, and acted after his family failed to post the required bond. Provincial police chief Major General Najih Mahmoud Sultan ordered on August 14, 2026, the formation of an investigative committee and the suspension of the duty officer and other personnel pending the probe, the directorate said in a statement. It added that legal proceedings would be opened against those involved. The injured detainee remains hospitalized. No further details on his condition were immediately available.