A young Iranian man who set himself on fire after the municipal government tried to evict him from his store died of his injuries on Tuesday, official media reported.
Ahmad Baledi, 20, had doused himself in petrol and lit himself ablaze on November 2 in Ahvaz, the capital of southwestern Khuzestan province, the newspaper Etemad previously reported.
Baledi suffered burns over 70 percent of his body, state TV said Tuesday, adding he "was sent to a hospital in the city of Ahvaz for treatment, but he died today despite the efforts of the medical staff."
Following the incident, the city's mayor and a municipal manager were arrested for allegedly inappropriately carrying out the eviction, the judiciary's Mizan Online news portal reported on Monday.
"The two officials are currently out on bail," Mizan said, adding that "several people who sought to create tension and chaos on social media were also arrested and are currently out on bail."
"The municipality, regardless of the judicial authority's insistence and the established conditions, arbitrarily and at an inappropriate time, returned to the desired location to evacuate this store," Ahvaz prosecutor Amir Khalafian told the outlet.
Khalafian elaborated that following the expiration of the lease for the space, which Baledi rented from the city, the municipality had asked him to vacate it, but he refused to do so.
Following the young man's death, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered the interior minister to form a special committee to carefully investigate the incident.
AFP
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