Rabat – Mustapha Yaakoubi, a Moroccan citizen living in Madrid, set himself on fire in front of Morocco’s consulate in Madrid on Wednesday. Yaakoubi had been calling for officials to settle his immigrant status.
The Moroccan Embassy announced that it has followed the Yaakoubi case in detail, noting that the embassy staff and local firefighters intervened to rescue him.
The embassy asserted that one of its officials seriously injured his hand while he was trying to shield Yaakoubi. The injured man has been referred to the hospital to receive the necessary treatments.
The embassy continued its remarks, saying that it intervened “in Yaakoubi’s case to find solutions for his problems last year,” adding that “he had a meeting with Morocco’s ambassador to Spain, Fadel Benyaich.”
According to the same source, “Yaakoubi had been invited by the Spanish authorities, who approved to renew his residence for only one new year, on the condition that he submit a work permit, but he declined their offer by insisting on a residence renewal of five years.”
The Moroccan embassy added that it “had no news of Yaakoubi after his meeting with Spanish authorities, until he suddenly appeared last Wednesday in front of the Morocco’s consulate, setting fire to himself.”
