Rabat – At a time when investigators and medical teams are working to determine the cause of Abderrahim Fakir’s death, Italian news agency ANSA claimed that the Moroccan national had been referred for psychiatric follow-up.
In a new report published Friday, ANSA included a subheading titled “Fakir Had Been Referred for Psychiatric Care.”
It alleged that Fakir was admitted to the emergency department of Bologna’s Maggiore Hospital on June 20 for a “psychiatric issue.”
It added that Fakir was referred to a “Mental Health Center,” where he attended a follow-up appointment in the following days, underwent an examination, received an initial diagnosis, and had his treatment confirmed.
The piece added that he was scheduled for a second appointment in early August to continue his medical care.
The timing of these reports has raised questions, as a medical team is carrying out an autopsy Friday to determine the exact cause of Fakir’s death after a video documented a violent police intervention in which two police officers pinned him face down on the ground and appeared to kneel on him while restraining him.
Earlier, Italian newspaper Il Messaggero reported that a preliminary CT scan suggested asphyxiation and airway obstruction were among the probable causes of Fakir’s death, indicating that his chest had remained pressed against the pavement for approximately five minutes during the restraint.
The findings, however, have yet to be confirmed by the ongoing autopsy.
The case dates back to July 19, when police responded to a call from a resident reporting that a man was allegedly acting “violently.” Reports said officers struck Fakir with their vehicle before forcing him to the ground, where he was pinned face down.
The incident occurred in the presence of four medical responders who failed to check his vital signs and only intervened after he lost consciousness, despite hearing him plead for help and urge them to stop: “Enough.”
Government stands with police amid investigation
Now, as the investigation is ongoing and Italian government officials stand with the police officers, ANSA has introduced another detail that, in similar cases, is used to shift the blame onto the victim and portray him as danger to the community, although his family emphasized he was a “normal and kind” person.
Fakir’s family lawyer, Fabio Anselmo, declined to dismiss reports that Fakir died of suffocation when he was asked about Il Messaggero’s report.
“I won’t say anything about that. No comment. I don’t feel I can deny it, but I don’t feel it is appropriate to comment on it at this time,” ANSA quoted him as saying.
Italy’s interior minister, Matteo Piantedosi, joined the growing chorus of far-right officials and activists defending the two police officers involved in Fakir’s killing.
“This is yet another episode that demonstrates the complexity of police work. The videos show that the officers approached the situation with the sensitivity required in cases like this,” he told L’Aria che Tira on LA7.
He claimed that those who operate in similar cases “have only a few seconds to make decisions. I believe they showed all the attention and balance required in these circumstances.”
Police searched the victim’s house
Amid the investigation into Fakir’s killing, Italian police also searched his home.
ANSA said police in Bologna searched Fakir’s home and seized several electronic devices, including computers and mobile phones.
No illegal drugs were found inside the residence.
Barbara Spinelli, a Bologna-based lawyer specializing in asylum law, has recently slammed politicians, authorities, and those who seek to blame Fakir.
“Stop putting Fakir on trial—stop asking who he was or what he did. He was a worker. He was kind. He was saddened that he had been forced to lay off some of his employees because business had declined,” the lawyer said.
The lawyer, who represented Fakir in renewing his residence permit, wrote an emotional post on Facebook urging Italian officials to hold people involved in Fakir’s killing accountable rather than blame the victim.
“Ask whether officers are required to receive training in restraint techniques. Ask whether healthcare workers and paramedics also study these procedures and know how to monitor a person’s vital signs while they are being restrained,” the lawyer wrote.
