Tunisian footballer Nizar Issawi died after setting himself on fire four days ago in protest against the " police state " and the police's treatment of him, according to what his family announced Friday.

Nizar Issawi, 35, set himself on fire after a dispute with the police in the Hafouz area of Kairouan Governorate (center). He intended to file a complaint against the background of a dispute between him and a banana seller who sells his goods at a price higher than the officially set price.

After that, he was transferred to the hospital to receive first aid, and he died as a result of severe burns, "yesterday evening in the Burns Hospital in the capital, and he will be buried today," according to what his brother, Riyad Al-Issawi, told Agence France-Presse.

And a video clip spread on social media showed Issawi filming himself with a phone and shouting, "A dispute with a person who sells bananas for ten dinars. I go to the station (the police). They accuse me of terrorism. Terrorism, people, terrorism for the sake of bananas."

In the video clip, he points his hand towards a police station and repeats, "They wronged me."

Before the incident, Al-Issawi posted a post on his Facebook page, in which he wrote, "I, Judge Nizar Al-Issawi, sentence the accused Nizar Al-Issawi to death by burning, because he is a man... The session has been adjourned... I no longer have the energy (tolerance). Today it will be done." Implementation, police state.

And the Tunisian authorities issued a decision before the month of Ramadan that the selling price of bananas should not exceed five dinars in an attempt to reduce the phenomenon of monopoly in the markets, and the demand for this fruit witnessed a great rush.

The incident brings to mind the 2011 revolution that overthrew the Zine El Abidine Ben Ali regime, and erupted after the young man, Mohamed Bouazizi, committed suicide by burning himself after the police confiscated his goods. On that day, the protests expanded to include all regions of the country and led to the escape of the president.

France Press was unable to obtain a comment from the Interior Ministry on the incident.

Following the announcement of Issawi's death, dozens of young men demonstrated in the Hafuz area on Thursday night and entered into a clash with the security forces, who used tear gas to disperse them, according to local media.

The demonstrators chanted, "We will execute you, Nizar, with our soul and blood," and threw stones at the security forces, according to video clips that circulated on social media.
Issawi played in football clubs that are active in the professional league in the Tunisian league, but he does not belong to a club in the current period.