April 14, (THEWILL) – A Tunisian football player, Nizar Issaoui, has died from burns sustained after setting himself on fire in protest against “police injustice”, according to his family.
The former player for US Monastir had posted a video on Facebook where he claimed that he was falsely accused of terrorism in central Tunisia. The 35-year-old, who was a father of four, suffered third-degree burns and succumbed to his injuries despite medical efforts to save his life.
Issaoui’s brother, Ryad, spoke to reporters, saying that his brother decided to make his extreme protest outside a police station after officers accused him of “terrorism” when he complained about the price of bananas. In a video selfie that has since gone viral on social media, the striker can be heard yelling about the absurdity of being accused of terrorism for a complaint about bananas.
The incident caused widespread protests from Issaoui’s family and a large number of citizens, who gathered outside the police station where the incident occurred. It all, once again, highlighted the issues of police injustice and excessive use of power in Tunisia. Issaoui’s death has also led to calls for an investigation into the incident and has reignited debates around the role of law enforcement agencies in the country.
“This is a terrible tragedy, and our hearts go out to Issaoui’s family and loved ones,” said a spokesperson for the Tunisian government. “We are taking this incident very seriously, and we will do everything in our power to ensure that justice is served.”
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
