Man who set himself on fire dies, was Iranian asylum seeker

The man who doused himself with flammable liquid and then set himself on fire on Amsterdam’s Dam square on Wednesday has died in hospital of his injuries.


The man was 36-year-old asylum seeker from Iran. Initial reports said he had reached the end of his application process and had been refused refugee status, but later reports said he had an appeal pending.
Eyewitnesses said the man had been shouting in broken Dutch before setting himself on fire, close to the war memorial. A number of passersby tried to extinguish the flames.
Officials are now trying to trace his relatives in Iran, Nos television said.

Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.

We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.

Make a donation