A professional footballer in Tunisia has died after setting himself alight earlier this week in what he called a protest against the "police state" ruling the country, his brother said. Nizar Issaoui, 35, suffered third-degree burns from his action in the village of Haffouz in the central region of Kairouan, his brother Ryad. He was taken from hospital in Kairouan to the specialist burns hospital in the capital Tunis, but doctors were unable to save his life, the brother said. "He died yesterday (Thursday) and will be buried today."

Issaoui's protest recalled that of street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi, who burned himself to death on December 17, 2010, sparking the Tunisian revolution that was the trigger for the Arab Spring uprisings which toppled authoritarian regimes across the Middle East. News of Issaoui's death sparked protests on the streets of Haffouz on Thursday evening, Tunisian media reported. Young demonstrators hurled stones at police who responded with tear gas.

There was no immediate comment from the authorities. On Friday, hundreds of mourners gathered outside Issaoui's house awaiting his funeral, shouting: "With our blood and with our soul we will sacrifice ourselves for you, Nizar". During his funeral, clashes broke out between protesters and the police, who fired tear gas, local media reported. Issaoui was a free agent at the time of his death, after a career that saw him play for a range of clubs from the lower divisions to the top flight.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-INP