Iranian authorities have arrested five people including a district mayor and a municipal enforcement officer in Ahvaz, southwestern Iran, after a young man set himself on fire following the demolition of his family’s kiosk, state media reported.
Twenty-year-old student Ahmad Baledi suffered severe burns after dousing himself with gasoline and setting himself on fire in front of officers who demolished his family’s kiosk last week.
The incident sparked protests in Ahvaz, where residents demanded accountability. The arrests suggest authorities are seeking to draw a line under the case before it attracts any broader protests.
Municipal workers accompanied by police arrived without notice according to the Karun Human Rights group, which added that the deputy for municipal services in the district “behaved violently” and forcibly ejected Baledi's wife from the kiosk.
“The municipality ignored the judicial orders and unilaterally proceeded with the eviction at an inappropriate time,” the Judiciary's Mizan News Agency quoted Ahvaz prosecutor Amir Khalafian as saying.
“The municipality did not act according to the judicial order in this case.”
Khalafian said the man had rented a small municipal kiosk, but after the lease expired and plans to expand the park were approved, the municipality repeatedly instructed him to vacate.
Both the district mayor and the municipal enforcement chief, he added, were released on bail and are currently suspended from their duties until the investigation into their violations is completed.
The official added that arrest warrants were also issued for three other individuals linked to the case.
"Several others who sought to create tension and unrest on social media have also been released on bail,” Khalafian said without elaborating.
Witnesses cited by Karun said some of the officers made no effort to stop him and watched with indifference and mockery.
The incident comes amid deepening economic hardship in Iran, where soaring joblessness and inflation have pushed many households into street vending, peddling, and other informal work to survive.
The self-immolation echoes that of Tunisian street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi, who had been frustrated the confiscation of his wares by police. His case helped ignite the Arab Spring uprisings in 2011.
Street protests erupted in Iran in 2022 after a young woman, Mahsa Amini, died in morality police custody. Authorities quashed the demonstrations with deadly force.
