Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has demanded a thorough investigation into the death of a Moroccan man during a police operation in Bologna, saying any responsibility must be established without prejudice or leniency.

Abderrahim Fakir, 42, died Sunday after officers reportedly restrained him face-down on the ground for several minutes, with his hands and feet secured and his face pressed against the pavement.

Fakir had lived in Italy since he was five years old.

“What happened in Bologna is unacceptable,” Meloni said. “The truth must be pursued fully, without prejudice and without exceptions for anyone.”

Authorities opened an investigation on Monday involving the two police officers who carried out the arrest and four emergency medical workers who were present at the scene.

Bologna’s public prosecutor ordered an autopsy and the examination of footage recorded by body cameras worn by both officers.

Images shared by a local resident appeared to show Fakir repeatedly crying for help as the officers held him on the ground while emergency personnel stood nearby.

Police said they had intervened after receiving reports from residents about a man behaving in an extremely agitated manner.

Thousands of people later gathered in central Bologna to protest Fakir’s death. Clashes reportedly broke out between demonstrators and security forces, leaving at least 11 people injured.

Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi urged the public to await the investigation’s findings, stressing that no one was above the law.