A 28-second video recorded around half an hour before Abderrahim Fakir was restrained has been handed over to Bologna prosecutors by the second police officer present during the arrest. The new footage adds to around 20 videos already collected by prosecutors as they work to establish the circumstances that led to Fakir’s death.
The 23-year-old officer was summoned by investigators on Friday to hand over his phone and, in particular, the video recorded approximately 30 minutes before the restraint.
Until now, only footage from the body camera activated by the 28-year-old officer shortly before he physically approached Fakir had been discussed. That camera remained on for around 20 minutes after the arrest, while the 42-year-old man lay face down on the asphalt, covered in blood and lifeless.
Investigators will now extract the metadata from the newly submitted video. These technical details, which are not visible on screen, can provide information about the file’s origin and resolution, as well as the exact date and time it was recorded and the model of the device used.
The prosecutor’s office had already collected around 20 videos in the preceding weeks, including footage filmed by local residents, body-camera recordings and other material. The footage has been combined with a 3D reconstruction produced by the RIS of Parma to create a sequence showing Fakir’s final moments from different angles.
The investigation, led by Chief Prosecutor Paolo Guido alongside Deputy Prosecutor Morena Plazzi and Prosecutor Francesca Arienti, has now reached its halfway point. The checks are being conducted under the “45 bis” procedure, which does not currently involve any person being formally placed under investigation, and must be completed within 120 days of July 20.
The investigation is examining both the possible role of the restraint maneuver in Fakir’s death and the overall emergency response, including the delayed dispatch of medical personnel to the scene. The final autopsy report, following the examination carried out on July 24, is due within 90 days.
A portrait of Abderrahim Fakir during a demonstration organized following his death on July 20, 2026
Abderrahim Fakir, a 42-year-old Moroccan who arrived in Italy at the age of five, died on July 19 after two police officers pinned him to the ground during his arrest in Bologna. Initial autopsy findings indicated that his lungs were filled with blood and that his back showed extensive areas of hemorrhagic infiltration caused by compression. Lawyer Fabio Anselmo described the findings as “violent mechanical asphyxia caused by dorsal compression.”
An analysis of Fakir’s phone has since provided Bologna’s criminal investigation unit with initial findings, while additional tests linked to the autopsy are still being conducted. Sixty-two days after the incident, the deceased’s remains are still being held in Italy as his family continues to demand their repatriation.
