ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The deputy police chief of Kirkuk province was arrested Monday evening on charges of defamation and misuse of a mobile phone, according to a police source.

Brig. Abbas Qadir, who serves as the technical assistant to the Kirkuk police chief, was taken into custody under Article 433 of the Iraqi Penal Code, the source told The New Region.

The case stems from a complaint filed by a Turkmen officer who was previously held in detention. After his release, the officer alleged that Qadir had threatened him while he was in custody. Investigators said the threats were sent from the same phone number used by Qadir.

Security officials confirmed that Qadir sent the messages, according to the source.

Article 433 defines defamation as publicly accusing someone of an act that, if proven true, would lead to punishment or public shame. The law states that those found guilty may face prison time, a fine, or both.

Tensions have been rising in Kirkuk over ethnic representation in local government. The appointment of a Kurdish official to head the municipality in the majority Turkmen area of Pirde (Altun Kupri) gave rise to protests from the Turkmen community, who believed that the post should have gone to a member of their ethnic group.

Turkmen demonstrators temporarily blocked the Kirkuk-Erbil road to protest the move.

Turkey's foreign ministry on Friday said that the decision "understandably caused unease and disappointment among the Turkmen community," adding that, "It is our fundamental expectation that our Turkmen kin are duly represented within Iraq’s political and state structure."

In response to the demonstrations, the Kirkuk provincial council formed a special committee to review how government positions are shared among the province’s communities.