Abderrahim Fakir had “lungs filled with blood” and showed “extensive areas of haemorrhagic infiltration caused by compression” on his back, according to Fabio Anselmo, the lawyer representing the victim’s family.
He cited the conclusions of Professor Vittorio Fineschi, a forensic consultant appointed by Fakir’s relatives. According to Anselmo, the findings indicate “violent mechanical asphyxia caused by dorsal compression.”
The lawyer also criticised what he described as government interference in the case, arguing that it exposes the officers involved “to the harmful effects of its propaganda.”
He recalled that the Italian government had previously been condemned by the European Court of Human Rights over the death of Riccardo Magherini in Florence under what he described as “entirely similar” circumstances, a ruling later upheld on appeal by Italy’s highest court.
According to the Italian press agency, the autopsy was “a highly complex examination,” and investigators must now await the results of further testing. Additional histological and toxicological analyses will be carried out in the coming days, and these are expected to play a key role in establishing the circumstances surrounding Fakir’s death.
Anselmo said that securing justice today is “even more difficult” than it was during the Magherini case. He argued that the investigation opened by the Bologna Public Prosecutor falls under a new legal category introduced by the current government, covering what he called “pseudo-reports of criminal offences.”
Explaining the Italian legal classification system, Anselmo said that Model 21 applies when a suspect has been identified, Model 44 is used for investigations against unknown persons, and Model 45 covers reports that are not considered criminal offences.
According to him, the Fakir case has been classified under a variation known as Model 45 bis, which applies where a legal justification is deemed to exclude criminal liability from the outset.“We are witnessing a pseudo-investigation into a pseudo-death that occurred during an arrest,” Anselmo said.
He also accused the Italian Prime Minister and several ministers of making judgments that should be left to the judiciary, claiming they had effectively “paraded” through the Bologna police headquarters responsible for the investigation.
Alongside the forensic investigation, authorities are also examining Fakir’s recent history to understand why he was in Bologna’s Pilastro district on Sunday morning in what witnesses described as an apparent state of confusion, the Italian news agency reported.
Investigators have established that on 20 June, Fakir visited the emergency department of Bologna’s Maggiore Hospital for a psychiatric issue before being referred to the city’s Mental Health Centre (CSM), which he attended in the following days. An initial diagnosis was made, treatment was prescribed, and a follow-up appointment had been scheduled for early August.
“Procedures of Death”?
The latest developments follow a press conference held in the Italian Senate, where several figures commented on the case. Senator Ilaria Cucchi, whose brother Stefano died in police custody in 2009, compared the footage of Riccardo Magherini with the videos showing Abderrahim Fakir’s arrest, filmed 12 years apart in situations she described as “entirely analogous.”
She also recalled that Italy was condemned by the European Court of Human Rights in January 2026 for its continued failure to adopt a protocol governing police restraint procedures.
At the same event, Anselmo compared the Fakir case with those of Federico Aldrovandi and Stefano Cucchi, two other deaths he represented, describing the existing restraint procedures as “procedures of death.”
Fakir’s niece, Yousra Fakir, addressed the conference by video link, distancing the family from the unrest that followed the police intervention while calling for the truth to be established and for her uncle’s memory to be respected.
A portrait of Abderrahim Fakir during a demonstration organized following his death on July 20, 2026
Mario Balzanelli, president of the Italian Society of the 118 Emergency Medical System, also criticised the restraint technique used by the officers, describing it as “inappropriate.”
Speaking to the Italian media, he outlined the physiological mechanisms by which prolonged restraint in the prone position can lead to cardiac arrest, adding that the risks may have been aggravated by the use of pepper spray on a man suffering from asthma.
Morocco Closely Monitoring the Case
On the Moroccan side, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates said on Friday that it was following with concern the circumstances surrounding the death of its national.
In a statement, the ministry said Moroccan authorities had formally requested that the competent Italian authorities conduct a prompt and comprehensive investigation to fully establish the facts surrounding the death and provide all necessary clarifications.
It also called for responsibilities to be determined and for all legally required procedures and safeguards to be fully applied.
The ministry added that Moroccan authorities would continue to monitor the case closely as part of their commitment to protecting the interests of Moroccans living abroad.
It said firm instructions had been issued to the Moroccan embassy and the relevant consulate general to closely follow developments.
Meanwhile, the Italian Embassy in Morocco announced on Friday that, “At the request of the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, the Italian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco, Pasquale Salzano, together with the Italian Consul General in Casablanca, met today with the wife of Abderrahim Fakir.”
On behalf of the Italian government, the two diplomats conveyed their condolences to the victim’s wife and expressed their deep sympathy to the family. They also reaffirmed the full availability of the embassy and the consulate general to support the family and provide all necessary assistance throughout the next stages of the case.
