Human rights campaigners and Italy's opposition parties demanded answers on Monday after a man died under police restraint as he pleaded for help, while government leaders defended the police.
The incident has been likened to George Floyd's murder in the United States six years ago, and also prompted comparisons with tactics used by the US's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under President Donald Trump.
Abderrahim Fakir, a 42-year-old from Morocco who moved to Italy when he was five, died on Sunday in Bologna while being forcibly held down by two police officers, according to a video shared widely on Italian media.
In the video, Fakir -- who reportedly suffered from heart issues and asthma -- repeatedly calls out "aiuto, aiuto, basta" ("help, help, that's enough") as the officers sit on him and ambulance workers look on.
After he stops moving, the police bind his ankles together.
