Saudi vegetable seller who set himself on fire in Riyadh dies

Riyadh: A Saudi newspaper says a vegetable seller who set himself on fire in Riyadh after police confiscated his goods for standing in an unauthorised area has died. The website for newspaper Sada reported that the man, identified only by the family name of Sureihi, died in hospital late on Friday. The self-immolation emulated that of a street vendor in Tunisia, whose 2011 death sparked the Arab Spring uprisings.

Family members were seen outside the hospital on Saturday demanding answers about why police confiscated the man’s goods. Witnesses say the family wants to know what led him to douse himself in petrol and set himself ablaze on Thursday. Saudi officials refused to comment. They did not disclose the man’s name or age. Despite Saudi Arabia’s oil wealth, many of its people live in poor conditions. Protests in the conservative kingdom are rare.