A professional footballer in Tunisia has died after setting himself alight earlier this week in what he said was 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 said on Friday.
He was taken from the hospital in Kairouan to the specialist burns hospital in Tunis but doctors were unable to save his life, the brother said. He died on Thursday, Ryad added.
In a Facebook post shortly before his fatal action, Issaoui said he had sentenced himself to "death by fire".
"I have no more energy. Let the police state know that the sentence will be executed today," he wrote.
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.
