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Iranian in Financial Distress Sets Himself on Fire

by Michael Lipin

   An Iranian state news agency says a municipal worker in financial
   distress has set himself on fire in southwestern Iran.

   In a report published Tuesday, ILNA said the man self-immolated a day
   earlier in the city of Abadan, suffering severe burns to 80 percent of
   his body. It said the man was rushed to a burn rescue hospital in the
   city of Ahwaz, about 100 kilometers away. There was no further update
   on his condition.

   ILNA said a male coworker tried to help the self-immolator but also
   suffered burns to 35 percent of his body.

   The exact location of the incident was not clear. ILNA published what
   it said was [1]a photo of the self-immolator on fire.

   Abadan is in Iran's ethnically diverse Khuzestan province, where the
   nation's Arab minority is predominantly located.

   Rights activists have reported several cases of Iranian Arabs
   committing suicide through self-immolation in Khuzestan in recent
   years. They have blamed the suicides on poverty and racial
   discrimination against minority Arabs.

   This report was produced in collaboration with [2]VOA's Persian
   Service.

   Michael covers international news for VOA on the web, radio and TV,
   specializing in the Middle East and East Asia Pacific. Follow him on
   Twitter [3]@Michael_Lipin

References

   1. http://www.ilnanews.com/%D8%A8%D8%AE%D8%B4-%DA%A9%D8%A7%D8%B1%DA%AF%D8%B1%DB%8C-9/625317-%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%AF%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B2%DB%8C-%DB%8C%DA%A9-%DA%A9%D8%A7%D8%B1%DA%AF%D8%B1-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%A2%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%86
   2. https://ir.voanews.com/
   3. https://twitter.com/Michael_Lipin