The Irish Network Against Racism (INAR) has said it is very concerned that excessive force may have been used against a Congolese man who died following an alleged shoplifting incident in Dublin last week.
The network has called for a thorough investigation of all of the circumstances leading to the death of the man who was in his 30s.
He has been named by the Congolese community in Ireland as Yves Sakila, who they say was an IT professional who had been living in Ireland since he was in his teens.
Gardaí said an investigation is under way into the incident which occurred around 5pm last Friday on Henry Street in Dublin city centre.
They said they are investigating all the circumstances of this incident, and there are no significant updates at this time.
They said they were alerted after security personnel detained a man in connection with an alleged shoplifting incident from a retail premises.
During the incident, a man in his 80s, was injured as the suspect attempted to flee the scene.
Gardaí said the detained man subsequently became unresponsive at the scene and was brought to the Mater Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
They said the results of the post-mortem examination would assist in determining the course of their investigation and that the incident was reported to Fiosrú, the Office of the Police Ombudsman.
The INAR has described a video of the incident, which shows the man being held on the ground for almost five minutes as "very disturbing".
It says the man is heard shouting in distress as he is being detained but by the end of the video he appears to be motionless.
INAR Director Shane O'Curry said: "Nobody deserves to die for being suspected of shoplifting.
"Something clearly went terribly wrong. We are very concerned that this case appears to have the hallmarks of a case of excessive use of force.
Watch: Samantha Libreri reports on concerns raised at 'excessive force' used against man
"The death of a black man in such circumstances is extremely worrying, and we urge the authorities to thoroughly investigate all of the circumstances leading to this man’s death, in order to ensure minority ethnic community confidence in the criminal justice system."
Laure Zoya, Vice President of the Congolese Community in Ireland group, said the videos and witness testimonies from the incident have deeply shocked and traumatized the Congolese, African, and black communities in Ireland and internationally.
"Many people are disturbed by the level of force shown during the restraint and are demanding full clarity regarding the circumstances that led to Mr Sakila becoming unresponsive.
"At this stage, we are calling for a full, transparent, independent, and impartial investigation into the incident.
"We believe all available evidence, including CCTV footage, witness testimonies, and videos recorded at the scene, must be preserved and carefully examined by the relevant authorities.
"As a community, we have already contacted Irish authorities, human rights organisations, anti-racism groups, Irish media outlets, Congolese diplomatic authorities, and community leaders to ensure that this matter receives the serious attention it deserves."
Ms Zoya added: "We also wish to remind the public that Yves Sakila was more than a headline.
"He was a member of our community, a professional working in Ireland, and a human being whose life mattered.
"We encourage the community to remain peaceful, united, and respectful while seeking justice through lawful and institutional channels.
"Our thoughts are with the family, loved ones, and all those affected by this tragedy."
She said a vigil is currently being organised and is expected to be held on Henry Street tomorrow afternoon.
