THE SOLICITOR REPRESENTING the family of Yves Sakila, the man who died after being restrained by security on Henry Street last Friday, has said that they are yet to be informed of the initial results of a postmortem examination that has been carried out.
John Cullen said the family need to be informed urgently so they can see if there is any need for an “independent pathologist’s investigation” in the case that the Office of the State Pathologist “cannot determine the cause of death”.
Cullen was speaking at a press conference near the Dáil organised by Black Coalition Ireland today.
He said that it is now imperative that there is an “effective, transparent investigation” into the death of the 35-year-old Congolese man.
Cullen said that Mr Sakila was “homeless” and had “suffered with drugs”.
Mr Sakila was restrained by five men on Henry Street outside the Arnotts Department store last Friday evening following an allegation of shoplifting.
Footage of the incident appears to show five men holding a man prone on the ground before his death after an alleged shoplifting incident on Henry Street in Dublin on Friday.
The almost five-minute video seen by The Journal appears to have been taken by a bystander among the large crowd outside Arnotts department store who watched as Mr Sakila 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.
It is not known who took the video, which it is understood has been circulated in messaging apps.
He was taken to the Mater hospital, where he was later declared dead.
At the press conference, Fine Gael councillor and Black Coalition Ireland spokesperson Yemi Adenuga said that both Mr Sakila’s death and the trauma of the Congolese community and wider migrant community he belonged to must be viewed within the context of the increasing prevalence of “anti-migrant” rhetoric in Ireland.
“We are here today near the seat of Irish democracy, and we are here because democracy has failed Yves Sakila.
“In 2024, there were 4800 shoplifting incidents in Ireland, not one of those people lost their lives before reaching garda stations, so today we ask, why did Yves have to day?” she said.
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Adenuga said that when political leaders “past and present” fuel a “climate of hostility” towards migrant communities “for the purpose of gaining a vote” the result is a society that “believes that certain people do not so belong and so must be removed”.
“Words have consequences, rhetoric has consequences,” she said, adding that in her view, “Yves Sakila may have suffered those consequences”.
The councillor demanded that the government legislates for safe restraint in respect of private security guards, and called on politicians across the spectrum to reflect on the impact of anti-immigration rhetoric.
Shane O’Curry of the Irish Network Against Racism echoed her calls for a transparent investigation and “justice” in Yves Sakila’s case.
A big turnout today for the protest over the death of Congolese man Yves Sakila outside the Dail - which heard calls for thorough investigations without delay. pic.twitter.com/ZbobX1O2SH
— Eimer McAuley (@eimer_mcauley) May 21, 2026
At 1 pm a large protest took place outside the Dáil, with hundreds in attendance, which heard from a range of speakers including Senator Eileen Flynn and representatives of the Congolese community.
The crowd chanted “no cover-up, no delay”.
Dr Ebun Joseph, the Special Rapporteur for Racial Equality and Racism in Ireland, wrote to Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan, the Executive Director of Fiosrú and the Office of the Police Ombudsman to express his “profound concern” over the circumstances of Mr Sakila’s death.
Joseph called for a “full, transparent, independent and timely” investigation to take place.
He also labelled the footage of Mr Sakila being restrained as “deeply disturbing”.
Joseph said that the incident does not exist in isolation, and that it has taken place amidst a “broader social and political climate in which increasingly hostile rhetoric surrounding migrants, refugees, racialised minorities, and Black communities” has become “more visible”.
The Irish Council for Civil Liberties has said that the footage of Mr Sakila being restrained is “deeply distressing and clearly shows a disproportionate and excessive use of force by people who seem to be security personnel”.
Gardaí investigating the death of Mr Sakila have issued a fresh witness appeal today.
A garda spokesperson further said that a Senior Investigating Officer has been assigned to the case, which is being investigated by the Serious Crimes Unit in the Store Street Garda Station.
They added that a postmortem examination has been carried out, but results are not being released for operational reasons.