Italy: Death of a Moroccan citizen during a law enforcement intervention

The Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) received with deep indignation and dismay the news of the tragic death of Moroccan citizen Abdelrahim Fakir, 42, in the city of Bologna, following a violent intervention by law enforcement officers that caused his asphyxiation during the arrest, as shown in circulated videos and reported by the media.

This extremely serious crime, committed against an unarmed citizen, constitutes a flagrant violation of the right to life and a grave breach of the most fundamental human right, guaranteed under international law, notably the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The Association’s Central Bureau offers its most sincere condolences to the victim’s family, expresses its full solidarity and closeness at this painful time, and declares the following:

• It condemns in the strongest terms this odious crime committed against a citizen who had lived in Italy for more than 37 years, and expresses its deep indignation at the violence of the law enforcement intervention in the Pilastro district, despite the victim’s calls for help;
• It calls on the Italian judicial authorities to deepen the investigation already opened into this case, so that all responsibilities are established and all those involved are prosecuted, including the police officers and emergency responders present on the scene who failed to act to save the victim;
• It calls on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Living Abroad of the Kingdom of Morocco to intervene urgently through diplomatic channels, in order to assist the victim’s family, guarantee her justice, and prevent those responsible for this tragedy from going unpunished;
• It calls on human rights organizations operating in Italy to follow the judicial case until the full truth is established and justice is served;
• It expresses deep concern at the growing recourse to discriminatory practices by law enforcement, and condemns the rise in police violence against migrants, in Italy and in migration destination countries in general — a phenomenon fueled by the spread of racist propaganda and by tolerance shown toward officers responsible for such abuses.

Central Bureau
Rabat, July 21, 2026