The Moroccan Foreign Ministry expressed concern over the death of one of its nationals while Italian police were arresting him in the city of Bologna, and called for a thorough investigation into the incident, according to Reuters news agency.

Abdel Rahim Faqir, born in Morocco, died on Sunday after police were called to the Pilastro district in the suburbs of the city, located in northern Italy, to deal with a man who was behaving aggressively and damaging a car.

The Moroccan ministry on Tuesday evening called for 'the necessary clarifications regarding this tragedy' and the identification of responsibilities in this death, which sparked anti-police protests in Bologna on Monday, resulting in dozens of police officers being injured. Following this, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called for a thorough investigation into the death and also denounced the clashes with police after the incident.

Meloni stated in a post on X that 'it is necessary to determine potential responsibilities with the utmost precision regarding the death of Abdel Rahim Faqir. The full truth must also be reached, without prejudice or leniency toward any party.'

She affirmed that the truth must 'be pursued to the end, without preconceptions and without excluding anyone.' However, she warned that 'nothing can justify violence against law enforcement agencies.'

Part of the protests that took place in the city of Bologna after the death of Abdel Rahim Faqir (dpa)

The Italian leader added: 'Those who chose to use this incident as a pretext to set fire to the city, attack officers, and sow violence, also endangering the safety of innocent bystanders completely unrelated to the disturbances, were not seeking the truth, but were seeking confrontation.'

These statements came after clashes erupted on Monday between protesters and police in the northern university city, known for its left-wing political leanings.

Authorities on Monday opened an investigation into the death of the man, aged 42, who had lived in Italy since the age of five, after he was pinned face down for several minutes, his hands and feet bound, and his face pressed against the asphalt. The investigation includes the two police officers who carried out the arrest, as well as four emergency medical personnel who were present at the scene.

The public prosecutor in Bologna ordered an autopsy and will also analyze the recordings from the two body cameras worn by the police officers during the arrest.

A resident of the area had published images showing Abdel Rahim repeatedly shouting 'Help!' while the two officers held him to the ground in the presence of several emergency personnel on the opposite side. Police said they intervened after receiving reports from some residents about a man in a state of extreme anger.

Following the incident, local media reported that thousands of people took to the streets on Monday evening to participate in a demonstration in central Bologna. The demonstration saw clashes with security forces resulting in at least 11 injuries, according to the same sources.

Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, for his part, called for waiting for the results of the investigation, stressing in a statement to the newspaper Il Messaggero that 'no one is above the law.'