Abderrahim Fakir’s death in police custody has reignited the debate on police accountability in Italy, reports infohub.kz.
A six-minute-and-56-second video shot in Bologna shows two Italian police officers and a civilian restraining Fakir on the ground. He screams for help for over four minutes before falling silent. Four Red Cross volunteers stand nearby. Lawyer Fabio Anselmo, representing the family, said when the officers stood up, Fakir may still have been alive, but no one helped him.
Fakir’s sister told reporters: “My brother wasn’t an animal. He was a father, a worker, a good man. Why did they do this to him?”
Police said they responded to reports of aggressive behavior and called emergency services. Witnesses and lawyers have disputed this account. Barbara Spinelli, Fakir’s immigration lawyer, said he feared deportation under the EU’s migration pact, though no legal grounds existed.
Protests in Bologna turned violent, with demonstrators throwing bottles and fireworks, and police using water cannon and tear gas. Police said 64 officers were injured. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the violence “unacceptable” and demanded a full investigation. Opposition parties called on Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi to report to parliament.
The investigation will be conducted under Italy’s new Article 45-bis procedure, which critics say undermines accountability by not immediately registering officers as suspects.