Rabat – Three Bologna city council members have submitted a motion calling for a permanent specialized training program for municipal police officers following the killing of Moroccan national Abderrahim Fakir during a violent police operation in Italy.
The proposal was introduced by Vincenzo Pizzolo, Caterina Arciprete, and Giovanni Graziani, members of the AVS–Ecolò political group.
According to the council members, the training would focus on officers involved in arrests, detentions, and situations involving people who are not cooperating with police.
“The death of Abderrahim Fakir brought back memories of the Riccardo Magherini case, a wound that remains open for our city,” the council members said in a statement. They argued that such incidents require a serious discussion about how state authorities use coercive force, without turning the issue into a political controversy.
Magherini was killed in 2014 after a similar violent police intervention in Florence.
The motion stresses that its purpose is not to criticize municipal police officers but to better prepare them for difficult and high-risk situations.
“This proposal does not seek to accuse those who work every day to keep our city safe,” the statement said. “Its goal is to provide them with the tools they need to handle complex situations. More training means greater safety for everyone.”
The council members added that public safety depends not only on stricter laws or increased policing but also on investing in the skills and preparation of officers.
“Better training protects both citizens and the officers themselves,” they said.
The proposal comes as Italian authorities continue investigating the circumstances surrounding Fakir’s killing, a case that has drawn attention in both Italy and Morocco after a video of the tragedy spread online.
The footage shows two police officers pinning Fakir face down on the ground while his hands were restrained behind his back. During the violent arrest, he can be heard repeatedly pleading for help as he struggled to breathe before eventually becoming unresponsive.
Initial findings from Fakir’s autopsy indicate that experts have identified blood in the lungs and signs of lung compression. His lawyer, Fabio Anselmo, said the autopsy found “violent traumatic postural asphyxia” and that Fakir’s lungs were “full of blood.”
