Algerian Activist Sets Himself on Fire Outside Justice Ministry in Protest Against Judicial Persecution
Fawzi Zakout’s shocking self-immolation was live-streamed and described as a cry for justice after years of alleged false charges and humiliation by a local judge.
Watan-In a shocking act caught on video and streamed on Facebook, Algerian civil society activist Fawzi Abdelkader Zakout set himself on fire in front of the Ministry of Justice in El Madania, Algiers, on Sunday morning. The self-immolation was a protest against what he described as five years of judicial harassment and fabricated charges by a judge in Frenda Court, northwest Algeria.
The video shows Zakout, dressed in a white shirt and black tie, walking calmly toward the Ministry with a plastic container of gasoline. As his companion filmed, Zakout poured the fuel on himself while speaking calmly to the camera, citing repeated humiliation by the judge. “I’m a man, and my dignity is everything… I can’t bear this humiliation,” he said before lighting himself on fire.
Security officers quickly intervened using fire extinguishers to put out the flames. Zakout was immediately transferred to the Zéralda Burn Treatment Hospital, where local sources say he is in stable condition.
The night before the incident, Zakout posted several warning messages on Facebook, announcing his plan to “ignite [himself] at the gates of El Mouradia Palace” in protest. He called on President Abdelmadjid Tebboune to hear his plea, writing: “I will die with dignity… At 8 a.m. I’ll burn myself with gasoline in front of the palace. The judge in Frenda has been throwing baseless charges at me for five years… He threatened me with ten years in prison just because I love my country and do good.”
Zakout is known locally for his volunteer and humanitarian work, regularly participating in community service campaigns and advocating for better local governance. He has faced multiple legal prosecutions in recent years, which he attributes to personal vendettas and political targeting.
Government Response
The Public Prosecutor at Bir Mourad Raïs Court released a statement confirming the event took place at 7:20 a.m. on Sunday and that Zakout arrived with two companions—one who fled, and another who filmed and posted the video online without intervening. The statement added that Zakout currently faces two postponed cases in Frenda Court, one related to unlicensed association work and fundraising, and another involving incitement to unarmed protest and obstruction of public roads.
Authorities have opened a formal investigation into the incident to determine its full circumstances and legal implications.
Public Reaction and Political Commentary
The act has triggered a wave of emotional and political responses. Thousands reacted online, some expressing solidarity, others questioning why Zakout’s companion didn’t try to stop him. A member of parliament called it “a moment for national reflection.”
The RCD party (Rassemblement pour la Culture et la Démocratie) issued a strong statement calling the incident a “desperate cry for help” and a symbol of growing social injustice. The party emphasized that such a serious act must not be minimized or ignored. They called for a fully independent and transparent investigation, warning against any inquiry conducted by the same institutions accused by the victim.
The statement added: “Choosing the Ministry of Justice as the scene of the act carries a powerful symbolic weight. It reflects a widespread perception of the judiciary as a tool of repression, not a refuge for the oppressed.”
The party concluded by reaffirming that real change requires independent, equitable justice, not silence and complicity with injustice.
