Meloni Calls for an Investigation into the Death of a Man During His Arrest in Bologna
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called for a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of a man during a police arrest in Bologna. At the same time, she condemned the protests against law enforcement officers, which were accompanied by violence.
Abderrahim Fakir, a native of Morocco, died on Sunday while in police custody. Law enforcement officers were called to intervene in a situation involving a man who was behaving aggressively and damaging a car.
“It is extremely important that responsibility be established with the utmost thoroughness. The truth must be properly ascertained, without prejudice and without leniency toward anyone,” Meloni wrote on the social media platform X.
However, she also condemned the violence against police during a protest in central Bologna that took place on Monday. According to the COISP police union, 56 officers were injured as a result of the riots. The demonstration turned violent when a group of protesters threw firecrackers, bottles, and chairs at the police, to which law enforcement responded with tear gas and water cannons.
“Those who decided to use this incident as a pretext to destroy the city, attack law enforcement officers, and spread violence… were not seeking the truth: they were seeking confrontation,” Meloni stated.
As a reminder, a former intelligence officer was detained in Italy on suspicion of spying for Russia.
Following the arrest of the former Italian ambassador to Uzbekistan, Piergabriele Papadia de Bottini di Sant’Agnese, Italian visa centers in Russia introduced stricter rules for submitting applications for Schengen visas.
Italy has rejected Donald Trump’s accusations of allegedly insufficient participation in joint U.S. security missions, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz. Officials in Rome emphasize that, on the contrary, the country has offered assistance, and cooperation with Washington remains functional and mutual.
