THE TAOISEACH HAS said the case of Congolese man Yves Sakila who died following an incident on Dublin’s Henry Street on Friday needs to be “thoroughly investigated”. 

Speaking on his way into cabinet this morning, Micheál Martin said:

“The situation will have to be thoroughly investigated, and needs to be thoroughly investigated.

“I don’t want to prejudice the outcome of that investigation but I think a lot of people are clearly very concerned about what has transpired here.”

“My deepest sympathies go out to his family, and to the wider Congolese community,” Martin said.

A vigil to remember Yves Sakila is to be held this afternoon on Henry Street. 

Footage 

Video footage has been shared online in recent days appearing to show five men holding Mr Sakila prone on the ground before his death after an alleged shoplifting incident.

The almost five-minute video appears to have been taken by a bystander among the large crowd outside Arnotts department store who watched as he was held to the ground.

Two of the men appear to be pushing Mr Sakila’s head and neck to the ground with their hands. One of the men also appears to push down on Mr Sakila’s head and neck with his knee with force.

Mr Sakila’s body is almost completely covered by the men. Mr Sakila appears to be groaning initially.

Two other men wearing blue vests are looking on, one of whom goes on to join the group of men on the ground holding Mr Sakila. Someone can be heard shouting “stay down”.

By the end of the video, Mr Sakila does not seem to be moving. Mr Sakila is lying prone on the ground with some of the men standing or kneeling over him for the duration of the video.

The aftermath of the incident on Friday evening. The Journal The Journal

It’s understood the video been shared with gardaí in Store Street investigating the incident and with Fiosrú, the office of the police ombudsman, as well as with the office of Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan. 

Earlier today Social Democrats spokesperson on Justice Gary Gannon said the video being shared was “deeply disturbing and distressing”.

“My thoughts are with Mr Sakila’s family and friends, who are grieving at the moment,” he said.

“There must be an immediate, comprehensive and transparent investigation into all of the circumstances which may have led to Mr Sakila’s death.

“The migrant community in Ireland is suffering from rising hate and discrimination, which the Government has done very little to combat. My thoughts and solidarity are with Ireland’s migrant community at this difficult time.”

Calls for investigation

The Africa Solidarity Centre, an NGO, and the Congolese Community in Ireland said in a statement on Monday that an immediate, independent, transparent and impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding Mr Sakila’s death was needed.

Minority and migrant communities need reassurance that their lives and rights will be regarded as being of equal value and that they have equal protection before the law, the groups said.

They extended their condolences to Mr Sakila’s family, relatives, friends and loves ones and the wider African community. They said video footage they had seen raised “extremely serious concerns” about the level of force employed against the deceased while he posed no threat.

The Irish Network Against Racism (Inar), a network of anti-racism organisations, has described reports of the incident as “extremely disturbing” and said the case had the hallmarks of excessive use of force.

Mr Sakila, who was from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and had been living in Ireland for over a decade, died on Friday afternoon.

Gardaí said at the weekend that Mr Sakila “became unresponsive at the scene and was transported by ambulance to the Mater Hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased”. Mr Sakila, who gardaí did not name in their statement, had been detained by security personnel, gardaí said.

Mr Sakila allegedly injured a man in his 80s as he “attempted to flee” after the alleged shoplifting incident, gardaí said.

Gardaí said the man in his 80s “continues to receive medical treatment”.