Following an operation by Ahwaz municipal enforcement officers to demolish a food stand in Zeytoon Park, Ahmad Baldi, a 21-year-old Arab man from Ahwaz, set himself on fire in protest and was taken to the hospital with severe burns.

According to a report by Fars News Agency from Ahwaz, Ahmad, the son of the food stand owner, is currently hospitalised with 60 percent burns, and his condition has been described as critical.

Mojahid Baldi, Ahmad’s father and the owner of the food stand, told Fars: “We have made a living from this small stand for 21 years. I have six children — two of them are university students, and my three daughters are among the top Taekwondo athletes in their weight categories. With this modest income, I’ve raised my children to be healthy and successful.”

He described the day of the incident: “After finishing his university class, Ahmad, as usual, came to help me at work. My wife, who knew his class schedule, called to ask him to come home for lunch, but Ahmad said, ‘I’ll be with my father in a few minutes.’ When he was late, my wife got worried and went to Zeytoon Park. There, she witnessed Ahmad in a confrontation with the municipal officers.”

According to Mojahid Baldi, “when Ahmad saw the officers demolishing the stand, he pleaded with them to stop, but no one listened. He said if they continued, he would set himself on fire to stop them. One of the officers mockingly replied, ‘Go ahead — burn yourself, let’s see how you burn.’ Then they smashed the windows, and the confrontation escalated.”

The father added that: “The officers, without any warrant, even handcuffed my wife,” and later issued an order for his own arrest.

Explaining the legal status of the stand, he said: “The land belongs to the municipality, but the structure was built by me. We have a 20-year contract with the municipality, with rent adjustments every three years. Our three-month extension had expired, but according to a prosecutor’s order, we had been granted a two-year grace period to continue operating.”