35-year-old Tunisian footballer dies after setting himself on fire in protest

35-year-old Tunisian footballer Nizar Issaoui has died after setting himself on fire in protest after being accused of terrorism. 

Issaoui set himself on fire to protest what he believed to be false accusations of terrorism and police injustice in the village of Haffouz. 

He published a video on Facebook in which he revealed that he was protesting being falsely accused of “terrorism” in the village of Haffouz, Kairouan, central Tunisia after a dispute with a local fruit seller. 

The former US Monastir player and father of four was involved in a dispute with a trader in Haffouz over the price of bananas after he was unable to buy them for less than 10 dinars ($3.30; £2.66) per kilogram, which is double the price set by the government. 

In response to the disagreement between Issaoui and the trader, the goalkeeper was accused of terrorism and took to Facebook to express his displeasure and sentence himself to “death by fire.”

In the social media post he made before his demise, Issaoui wrote, "For a dispute with someone selling bananas at 10 dinars, I get accused of terrorism at the police station. Terrorism for a complaint about bananas. 

“I have no more energy. Let the police state know that the sentence will be executed today."

The Tunisian goalkeeper suffered third-degree burns during the fire incident and was taken to a specialist hospital in Tunis, but ultimately lost his life from the injuries he sustained. 

He died on Thursday and was buried the next day amidst protests at his funeral, where mourners attacked police present with stones while police fired tear gas on protesting wailers. 

Tunisia has been embroiled in dispute since President Kais Saied sparked controversy in 2021 by sacking the prime minister, suspending parliament, and pushing through a new constitution enshrining his dominance. 

Tunisia is experiencing a severe financial and food crisis, with inflation reaching 11% and food becoming increasingly scarce.