Toba Owojaiye reporting
ALGERIA – In a harrowing act of protest that has gripped national attention and reignited debate over civic freedoms and judicial integrity in Algeria, a man set himself on fire outside the Ministry of Justice in central Algiers on Sunday.
Identified as Faouzi Zegout, a resident of Frenda—a town approximately 340 kilometres southwest of the capital—the 40-something-year-old reportedly doused himself in petrol and ignited the flames near the gates of the justice ministry.
Security officers stationed at the complex acted swiftly, managing to extinguish the flames before Zegout sustained life-threatening injuries.
Truth Live News gathered that he was rushed to the Douera Burns Hospital in Algiers, where officials confirmed his condition as stable.
Medical staff say he is currently receiving treatment for second-degree burns and is under psychiatric observation.
A video posted online shortly before the incident shows Zegout, dressed in formal attire—a white shirt, black trousers, and a tie—speaking calmly into the camera. He explained that he was protesting what he described as a gross miscarriage of justice.
According to his testimony, he had been sentenced to ten years in prison by the Frenda court for organizing a charitable campaign without prior government approval.
The campaign, he claims, was aimed at helping citizens who could not afford critical medical treatment.
“My intention was to help those in need, not to violate any laws,” Zegout said in the video. “Yet I have been criminalized for compassion.”
He ended the recording with a direct appeal to President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, urging him to intervene in what he called “a dangerous abuse of power by the judiciary.” Zegout alleged that his sentencing was politically motivated and intended to make an example out of grassroots civic action.
Though acts of self-immolation are rare in Algeria, Zegout’s protest has drawn comparisons to the 2010 self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi in Tunisia, which helped ignite the Arab Spring.
That historical parallel has not been lost on Algerians, especially among youth and civil society activists, who say the system continues to suppress volunteerism, philanthropy, and dissent.
Social media platforms exploded with commentary in the hours following the incident, with hashtags like #JusticeForFaouzi and #CivicFreedom trending locally. Civil rights groups have begun circulating petitions calling for an independent investigation into Zegout’s sentencing and broader reforms in how civic activity is regulated.
“This is not just about one man,” said Lounes Haddad, a constitutional lawyer based in Algiers. “It is about a country where good intentions can be criminalized if they do not pass through the right political channels.
The law must serve the people, not punish them.”As of press time, there has been no official response from the Ministry of Justice or the presidency.
However, anonymous government sources suggest that internal reviews may be underway to verify the circumstances surrounding Zegout’s sentencing.
Observers note that Algeria has recently increased scrutiny of non-governmental organizations and citizen-led initiatives, citing national security concerns.
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Critics argue that such policies have created a chilling effect on humanitarian work and social activism.
Faouzi Zegout’s self-immolation attempt outside Algeria’s justice ministry has stirred a national reckoning.
What began as a solitary act of protest has rapidly evolved into a wider movement questioning the transparency of the judiciary and the limits of civic engagement in the country.
While Zegout recovers in hospital, his message reverberates across Algeria: when the justice system loses sight of compassion, protest takes desperate forms.