Abderrahim Fakir's death reignites Italy's police accountability debate

Six minutes and 56 seconds of video capture the final moments of Abderrahim Fakir, a 42-year-old Moroccan-born man who had lived in Bologna, northern Italy, for over three decades. The footage shows two Italian police officers and a civilian restraining Fakir on the ground, while he repeatedly screams for help.

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I ask you to listen very carefully to that video.

Paramedics arrived with an ambulance, but Fakir fell silent after more than four minutes of crying out, his ankles secured with a zip tie. Only after the restraint ended did paramedics realize he had lost consciousness. "When the officers stand up, Fakir may still be alive," said Fabio Anselmo, the lawyer representing Fakir’s family. "Yet no one attempts to help him. No one removes the restraints."

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When the officers stand up, Fakir may still be alive. Yet no one attempts to help him. No one removes the restraints.

Anselmo, who represented the family of Stefano Cucchi in a previous case that became a symbol of Italy's struggle with police accountability, stated, "I have spent almost 30 years dealing with cases like this. The European Court of Human Rights has already condemned Italy." He referenced a January 2026 ruling where the court found Italy violated Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights for failing to prove a restraint was "absolutely necessary."

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I have spent almost 30 years dealing with cases like this. The European Court of Human Rights has already condemned Italy.

Bologna police initially stated officers responded to reports of "a person behaving violently" and that emergency services were called immediately. They confirmed Fakir died after "restraint procedures" in the presence of medical personnel. Prosecutors have ordered a post-mortem examination, and the local health authority has launched an internal investigation. The incident has sparked public outcry, with Fakir's sister tearfully asking reporters, "My brother wasn’t an animal. He was a father, a worker, a good man. Why did they do this to him? We don’t want revenge. We want justice."

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My brother wasn’t an animal. He was a father, a worker, a good man. Why did they do this to him? I want everyone to see his face. I want people to know who he was. We don’t want revenge. We want justice.