A man in Egypt on Thursday set himself ablaze in Tahrir Square in the capital, Cairo as he protested against “corruption and poor living conditions”.
The man was later rescued by police and passersby, according to local media reports.
The Egyptian man was reportedly sacked from his job at a bank for exposing corruption involving state officials.
In a video widely circulated on social media, the man complained about his financial and living conditions.
The 20-minute video broadcast on Facebook showed the man talking about his efforts to expose corruption by state officials, leading to his sacking from his job.
He was to face a hefty fine at the hands of the National Security forces for his exposing corruption.
According to Middle East Eye, the man self-immolated before policemen and passersby managed to put out the flames.
“I have nothing to cry about. My life has been ruined. I have been unjustly fired from my job and unjustly blocked from returning to it. This is what’s happening now,” he said shortly before setting himself ablaze.
He added that “There’s a circle of corrupt people that govern Egypt, they’re all corrupt, they’re all thieves… the military council is the source of the corruption in the country. They are stealing from the country until today, while people can’t afford to eat.
“The masters are taking revenge from the slaves who revolted against them [in the 2011 uprisings]. This is where we are now. The more you stay silent, the worse it will get.”
Tahrir Square in Cairo was the scene of the revolutionary protests in 2011 that unseated longtime leader Hosni Mubarak.
