On Saturday, thousands of Shiites denounced the U.S. military for arresting the son of Abdel Aziz al-Hakim, one of the country’s top Shiite leaders. Ammar al-Hakim was detained after crossing from Iran into Iraq. He was released after several hours but claims he was mistreated.

Ammar al-Hakim: “I was surprised by the bad treatment. (A U.S. soldier) beat me and kicked me toward the wall. He pushed me toward the wall and bound me again, but this time he bound (my hands) behind my back. He tightened the binding, and the signs are still here. The signs of the binding that was practiced against me the second time are still here. He tied me from behind my back, but he also blindfolded my eyes.”