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Man Sets Himself Alight at Tunisia’s Islamist Ennahda Party HQ

One person has died and at least 12 were injured in a fire at the headquarters of Tunisia’s Islamist Ennahda party in Tunis. The fire on Thursday broke out after a man set himself on fire inside the building, Reuters reported. The person who died is the man who set himself on fire. The party identified the dead man as one of its members.

Two senior party officials were among the injured in the fire, including Ali Larayedh, a former prime minister. He reportedly jumped from a second-floor window to escape the flames.

“This is a martyr of marginalization and poverty. He is one of the Ennahda sons. He spent 10 years in prison against the dictatorship before the (2011) revolution,” Ennahda party chief Rached Ghannouchi told reporters, referring to the Arab Spring uprising.

Ennahda is the largest party in parliament. The parliament was suspended on July 25 by President Kais Saied, who seized power and is ruling by degree.