Algeria: teenagers set fire on donkey and post video on Internet

Teenagers believed to be Algerians set fire on a donkey and posted a video about that on Youtube and Facebook.

• The video shows that the donkey on fire has turned around itself for more than six times before he run away. Parts of its body were totally burnt.
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• The teenagers used oil fuel to set fire on the animal.
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• Those images raised anger among national and international organisations caring for animal. An international campaign was launched on the Internet to identify the teenagers and trial them.
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• American satellite channel Fox 24 published the video while they were banned on Youtube and Facebook as it does not respect membership conditions.
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• Algerian and American activists published it once again on new pages.
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• The video shows two teenagers next to a donkey in a mountainous area in the forest. They poured quantities of oil fuel on the donkey back with a big smile.
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• The animal back was turned into a fire ball. The donkey voice was replaced by a traditional song.
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• After having turned around itself for many times, the animal started running on a high speed to an unknown place.
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• The teenagers accused the donkey for being savage and attacking three other donkeys. They gave themselves the right to punish it “without trial.”
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• In the end of the video, they thanked everyone who participated in the crime which was posted by an Algerian young man on Youtube.
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• It was not confirmed whether the teenagers are Algerians or Maghrebins. All it seems, they come from eastern Algeria.
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• Doctor Haifa Rezaki, a veterinary, condemned the teenagers’ act and described it as ‘cruel and inhuman.’
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• In coordination with an association caring for animal in Algeria, she started investigating in the teenagers’ identity.
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• She believes the teenagers should see a psychologist and must be obliged to live in an animals farm to learn how to deal with animals.
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• She also said the Algerian law punished people who torture animals. Yet, the law is old and the fine is very limited as it does not exceed 1,000 DZ.
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• She added that the teenagers’ image show that he is hateful and spiteful.
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• She believes that foreign institutions must not be allowed to exploit the incident and turn it into a public opinion issue because it would tarnish Algeria’s reputation.
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• According to the veterinary, a Spanish association which cares for animals showed its intention to carry out activities in Algeria to sensitize people about caring for animals.
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• She warned against the danger of the spread of this spiteful spirit among Algerian young people.
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• “If they allowed to themselves to set fire on a donkey, they may be able to burn a baby,” she said.