Nizar Issaoui, a Tunisian footballer, died from burns sustained during a protest against “police injustice” in which he set himself on fire, according to his family.
He was seen in an online video screaming that he had been accused of terrorism by officers following a dispute with a fruit seller.
He said he sentenced himself to “death by fire” in a separate post.
According to local media, there were angry clashes at the 35-year-old’s funeral on Friday in his hometown of Haffouz.
According to reports, Issaoui was accused of terrorism by police officers after complaining that he couldn’t find bananas for less than 10 dinars ($3.30; £2.66) per kilogramme, which is double the government’s price.
“For a dispute with someone selling bananas for 10 dinars, I get accused of terrorism at the police station,” the footballer wrote on Facebook. Terrorism for a banana complaint… I’m out of energy. Inform the police state that the sentence will be carried out today.”
Issaoui burned himself to death in protest.
Demonstrators threw stones at police, who fired tear gas at the footballer’s funeral.
He was a father of four and a former player for Tunisian top-flight club US Monastir.
According to his brother, Issauoi suffered third-degree burns and doctors were unable to save his life.
His actions were reminiscent of a 2010 protest in which street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire. This sparked a wave of protests that culminated in the overthrow of President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali the following year.
Kais Saied, the current President, sacked the prime minister and suspended parliament in 2021, causing an uproar. He has since pushed through a new constitution that enshrines his power.
The Tunisian government has made no statement regarding Issaoui’s death.
Source: BBC
