Morocco presses Italy over death of man restrained by police
Morocco has asked Italy to explain Abderrahim Fakir’s death in Bologna as prosecutors investigate and protests over the police restraint continue.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
2 min read
Morocco has asked Italy for a full account of how Abderrahim Fakir, a 42-year-old Moroccan national, died while police were arresting him in Bologna. The case has put pressure on Italian authorities after demonstrations and clashes followed his death in the northern city.
Morocco’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday that it had asked Italian officials to clarify the circumstances of Fakir’s death and identify any responsibility, according to Al Jazeera and AFP. The ministry also urged Rome to take suitable legal steps after police brought Fakir to the ground before he died.
Morocco’s embassy in Italy said a transparent and impartial account of the events was in the interest of all sides. The embassy called for the circumstances to be established with rigor, according to the report.
Italian leader calls for investigation
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on X that Fakir’s death was “unacceptable” and called for the truth to be pursued fully. She said any possible responsibilities should be investigated thoroughly and without bias.
Meloni also condemned violence that followed the death, saying the incident did not justify attacks on law enforcement. She accused some people of using the case as a pretext for confrontation and unrest in Bologna.
Prosecutors opened an inquiry into Fakir’s death on Monday, according to Al Jazeera and AFP. Fakir had arrived in Italy when he was five years old, the outlets reported.
Video and protests in Bologna
Residents demonstrated in Bologna on Monday after Fakir died Sunday following his restraint by police. A Reuters photograph from the protest showed a demonstrator kneeling, raising a fist and holding Fakir’s portrait.
Italian police said clashes broke out between officers and protesters, leaving 54 officers injured. Sky TG24 reported that 11 protesters were also hurt.
A video filmed by a resident showed Fakir calling for help while two police officers pressed him face down on the ground for several minutes, according to Al Jazeera and AFP. Italian media reported that neighbours had called police because they were worried by Fakir’s erratic behaviour, and that officers told ambulance staff he was having a “psychiatric episode.”
At a rally called by Bologna’s left-wing mayor, Matteo Lepore, Fakir’s niece, Yossra Fakir, said the family wanted justice rather than hatred or revenge. She said they were seeking the truth.
Al Jazeera and AFP reported that the case has drawn comparisons with the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020. Floyd died after a police officer knelt on his neck and cut off his air supply.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.