An elderly man set himself on fire on the central square of the southern Kyrgyz city of Osh, demanding an end to protests in the country, according to eyewitnesses.
The republic’s Interior Ministry said on Monday a 73-year-old man doused himself with gasoline and ignited himself on Sunday. He was taken to the hospital with 96 percent of his body burned and succumbed to his injuries early on Monday.
Police said the man’s demands remain unknown as “all banners he brought burned along with him,” but local information agencies said citing eyewitnesses that he was “tired of rallies” and demanded the authorities restore order in the country.
It was also reported that he asked to provide medical aid to his severely ill wife.
After the 2010 coup, Kyrgyzstan was gripped by a wave of protests. According to official data, over 3,000 protests took place in the country in 2011. In early March, the opposition held three large rallies in the south, demanding the government’s resignation.
