Young Tunisian man set himself on fire

A young man attempted suicide by setting himself on fire in the heart of the Tunisian capital, resulting in second-degree burns, according to local media reports on Sunday.

The incident occurred on Saturday night-Sunday morning on Habib Bourguiba Street, near the Ministry of Interior's headquarters, when the 35-year-old individual set himself on fire in front of passersby, as reported by the same source. He was immediately taken to the hospital for treatment.

The reasons behind his act have not been determined yet, and AFP has not obtained any comment from the Ministry of Interior regarding the incident.

This incident brings to mind the self-immolation of the street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi (26 years old) on December 17, 2010, which ignited the Tunisian Revolution that toppled President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and sparked the Arab Spring uprisings.

In mid-April of last year, Tunisian football player Nizar Issawi died after setting himself on fire in the Governorate of Kairouan (central Tunisia) to protest against the "police state" and police conduct towards him.

Since the beginning of 2023 until May, 72 people have committed suicide, according to statistics published by the "Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights," an organization specialized in monitoring illegal immigration and social issues.

The organization's reports confirm that the main motivations for suicide are mental and psychological illnesses and protest against difficult social conditions.

The majority of suicide cases occur in the country's inland governorates, where poverty and unemployment rates are higher.


AFP