Algeria: Young man immolates himself in front of officials

A 26-year-old man died on Tuesday in hospital after he had immolated himself on the visit of Ain Timouchent’s prefect to his municipality.

• Samir Hount was jobless. He stopped his architecture studies at the university to find a job and help his poor family. His father is unemployed and his family contains five members.
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• He asked authorities to offer him a job as part of the professional integration but he was asked to present a certificate to prove that he stopped studying.
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• On last Thursday, he went to Bekkouche Okacha school where the prefect of Ain Timouchent province was expected to arrive. He wanted to give the prefect two letters about his problems. A guardian prevented him from entering the school.
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• Samir took a gas bottle. He poured it on his body and he set fire on himself in presence of the prefect and her delegation.
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• “We saw a burning man. He raised his hands to the sky and said: Oh, my God. I did that for my rights,” a witness told Echorouk.
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• Samir neighbour said he was a kind and respectable man. “His family and his neighbours loved him. He spent most of his life in studies hoping to find a job. His only guilt was his intention to find a decent job to help his family.”
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• His posted his last message on Facebook saying: “My friends, I was happy for talking to you but when I needed you, no one stood by my side. Today is the last day in my life. I am fed up. I want to kill my self. Please, forgive me if I bothered you in this life. Your friend Samir Hount from Algeria.”