Rabat demands answers after Moroccan man dies during arrest in Italy

What the report says

Al Jazeera, citing AFP, reported that Morocco has asked Italy to explain the death of Abderrahim Fakir, a 42-year-old Moroccan national who died during an arrest in Bologna. Morocco’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday it wanted Italian authorities to clarify the circumstances and identify any responsibility, while the Moroccan embassy called for a rigorous, impartial and transparent account of what happened.

The case has triggered large demonstrations in the northern Italian city. According to the report, Fakir died Sunday after police restrained him on the ground. A resident’s video cited by Al Jazeera shows him calling for help while two officers held him chest-down for several minutes. Italian media reported that neighbours had called police because of concerns about Fakir’s erratic behaviour, and that officers described the situation to ambulance staff as a psychiatric episode.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on X that the death was unacceptable and that the facts must be pursued fully, without bias or leniency. She also condemned violence during the protests, saying anger over the incident could not justify attacks on law enforcement or unrest that endangered bystanders. Italian police said clashes left 54 officers injured, while Sky TG24 reported 11 protesters were hurt.

Prosecutors have opened an inquiry into Fakir’s death, Al Jazeera reported. At a rally convened by Bologna’s left-wing mayor Matteo Lepore, Fakir’s niece, Yossra Fakir, said the family was seeking truth rather than revenge. The incident has drawn public comparisons to the 2020 killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, where police restraint caused international outrage over excessive force.