Journalist's self-immolation triggers fresh protests in Tunisia

Published Dec 26, 2018

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Tunis - Tunisia's western city of Kasserine and the capital Tunis saw fresh protests late Tuesday, one day after a journalist set himself on fire over poor living conditions in the North African country.

The protests came as Tunisian announced they had arrested an 18-year-old man as part of an investigation into the self-immolation of photojournalist Abdelrazzak Zorgui.

In Kasserine, protesters blocked roads, set tyres ablaze and hurled stones and Molotov cocktails at security forces.

In Tunis, protesters took to Habib Bourguiba Avenue and raised banners reading "Enough!"

In a statement issued late Tuesday, the Interior Ministry said the suspect they had arrested is from the western city of Kasserine.

Shortly before his death, Zorgui posted a video online in which he complained about unemployment and poverty and said he would "start a revolution" by setting himself on fire.

In the video, a man can be heard in the background dictating some words to Zorqui.

A spokesperson for the Kasserine Court of First Instance told the country's official TAP news agency that preliminary investigations "have shown that there are suspicions of murder in the death of the photojournalist."

Since December 17, Tunisia has been marking the eighth anniversary of the popular uprising that toppled long-time dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

The incident was reminiscent of street vendor Mohamed Bouaziz who set himself on fire eight years ago, sparking the Arab Spring uprisings that toppled Arab autocrats.

The country has been in the grip of an economic slowdown resulting from the unrest that followed the 2011 uprising and ensuing attacks by militant insurgents.

Earlier in the month, thousands of Tunisian teachers demanded pay rises in nationwide protests, the latest in a series of labour demonstrations in the North African country.

dpa

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