Protesters blocked a busy intersection in Bangladesh’s capital on Friday to protest against the death in prison of a writer and commentator who was arrested on charges of violating the sweeping digital security law, which critics say stifles freedom of expression.

Mushtaq Ahmed, 53, was arrested in Dhaka in May last year for making comments on social media that criticised the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic. He had been denied bail at least six times. It was not immediately clear how Ahmed died on Thursday. Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan said on Friday an investigation would follow.

Hundreds of protesters gathered near the Dhaka University campus while many others took to social media to vent their anger. They chanted slogans demanding the repeal of the law. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International urged Bangladesh to investigate the case. New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists also demanded the government cancel the security act.