Nizar Issaoui, a former football player in Tunisia, died when he set himself on fire to protest what he called “police injustice” with his video now viral
Nizar Issaoui, who played for the top team US Monastir and was 35 years old, said that the police wrongly accused him of terrorism after he complained about how much bananas cost. Issaoui set himself on fire in front of a police station in Haffouz, Kairouan, in the centre of Tunisia, on Thursday.
The father of four posted a video on Facebook in which he talked about how upset he was about being accused of terrorism because of a complaint about bananas. “For a dispute with someone selling bananas at 10 dinars (£2.65), I get accused of terrorism at the police station. Terrorism for a complaint about bananas,” Issaoui screamed in the video.
Facebook video of Tunisia footballer Nizar Issaoui dying after setting himself on fire goes viral on Twitter
🚨😢 Drame en Tunisie.
Nizar Issaoui, footballeur professionnel tunisien, est décédé après s'être immolé par le feu afin de protester contre les violences policières.
Il avait été accusé de terrorisme avant son passage à l'acte, qui était prémédité.
Paix à son âme. 🇹🇳🕊️ pic.twitter.com/vYSbFG1ign
— Instant Foot ⚽️ (@lnstantFoot) April 15, 2023
The Tunisian scorer Nizar Issaoui had third-degree burns and was rushed to the hospital, but he could not be saved. Before he died too soon, Issaoui was a free player who played in the amateur leagues.
After the event, cops and angry protesters got into fights in Nizar Issaoui’s hometown of Haffouz. People who were protesting in front of the police offices said that the police used tear gas to get rid of them.
People compared Nizar Issaoui to what happened to Mohamed Bouazizi, a street seller in Sidi Bouzid, who set himself on fire after a policewoman took away his fruit cart in December 2010. The death of Bouazizi led to protests that led to the downfall of then-president Ben Ali and inspired rebellions in the Middle East.
Outrage for accountability: Tunisians react to Nizar Issaoui’s death
Nizar Issaoui’s brother, Ryad, confirmed his death, saying, “He died yesterday [Thursday] and will be buried today.” The incident has caused outrage among the Tunisian people, who took to social media to express their anger at the police’s handling of the situation. Many people have asked for a review into what happened, and some have even said that the police officers who made Issaoui’s false accusation should be held responsible.
Concerns have been made about police brutality and unfairness in Tunisia because of this event. In the past few years, there has been a lot of economic and political uncertainty in the country, and many Tunisians feel that their government hasn’t done enough to help them. The situation with Issaoui shows how important it is for the government to listen to its people and work towards making a fair and just society.
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