French woman dies after self-immolation protest

Sunday, October 19, 2008
AFP

TOURS, France – A 60-year-old French woman died on Sunday after setting
herself on fire to protest a decision to deport her partner back to
Armenia, hospital staff said.

Josiane Nardi suffered third-degree burns to almost her entire body
after dousing herself with flammable liquid and setting herself alight
in front of a detention centre in the western city of Le Mans on
Saturday.

She was rushed to the burn victims’ unit at Tours hospital where she
died on Sunday, hospital staff said.

Mayor Jean-Claude Boulard ordered an investigation to be opened and
said it must provide answers on "how a woman was led to make the
ultimate sacrifice to save her companion".

An illegal immigrant, Nardi’s 31-year-old partner Henrik Orujyan had
been serving a two-year jail sentence for various crimes before being
transferred to a pre-deportation centre.

He was released late on Saturday due to medical reasons and placed
under house arrest, according to a rights group.

Nardi had arranged to meet local media to draw attention to the plight
of her companion.

But journalists said they were unaware of her intention to set herself
alight and unable to prevent her from doing so.

"She took out a bottle of alcohol, and when we approached her, it was
too late," said a witness.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress