ERBIL – A 25-year-old Kurdish-Iranian refugee who had applied for political asylum in Iraqi Kurdistan set himself on fire last Tuesday in front of the Erbil offices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, imitating the desperate gesture of Mohamed Bouazizi, the Tunisian peddler who started the Revolution in 2010. Behzad Mahmoudi, writes the TV site Rudaw, has lived in Kurdistan for four years. On Tuesday afternoon, in front of several reporters, he poured gasoline on his body and set himself on fire. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition, with burns on 91 percent of his body.
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To the Kurdish broadcaster, Mahmoudi said from the hospital bed that he needs the help of UNHCR because he lives in very difficult conditions and cannot find work. “They have to help me. We have no work, we have no money and our only hope is the UN, but it does not answer us, ”he said, adding that he had asked UNHCR for help before organizing his protest, but without being welcomed. A spokesman for the UN mission in Iraq said he was “shocked and saddened” by the incident, wishing the young man on behalf of the United Nations a speedy recovery “.
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But in the age of social networking, Mahmoud’s self-immolation images got into circulation very quickly. Many observers were outraged that reporters filmed the man setting himself on fire instead of intervening to prevent it. “It’s like filming is more important than someone’s life in this modern society,” commented a Twitter user.
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The Kurdistan Regional Government expressed sorrow for the incident, criticizing the media coverage. “We strongly condemn those media who covered this incident coldly, ignoring the ethics of journalism, the law and the guidelines of the regional government”, comments the Krg media office, urging the authorities to “prevent the repetition of such behavior inhumane “.
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