This is a list of notable people who committed suicide by setting themselves on fire for political reasons. Non-political self-immolations are not included in the list.
Date | Name | Age | Country | Protesting | Notes and references |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
396 | Fayu | 45 | Later Qin (today ![]() |
– | Earliest recorded Chinese self-immolation.[citation needed] |
577 | Five unnamed Buddhist monks | – | Northern Zhou (today ![]() |
Persecution of Buddhism by Emperor Wu[citation needed] |
Date | Name | Age | Country | Protesting | Notes and references |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1948 | Kuo-shun | – | ![]() |
Persecution of Buddhists and destruction of sacred objects by the government of Mao Zedong | Buddhist monk from Vietnam.[1] In the city of Harbin, he sat in the lotus position on a pile of sawdust and soybean oil and self-immolated.[2][3] |
Date | Name | Age | Country | Protesting | Notes and references |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
December 8, 1959 | Poh Kwong | – | ![]() |
Loss of money intended to build a new hospital, was possibly swindled through government corruption | Buddhist monk from China. In the city of Bangkok, he sat on a five-foot pyre and attempted to self-immolate before being stopped by police.[1][4] |
Date | Name | Age | Country | Protesting | Notes and references |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
June 11, 1963 | Thích Quảng Đức | 66 | ![]() |
Persecution of Buddhists by the government of Ngô Đình Diệm | Led to several other monks and nuns committing the same act before Diệm was toppled. The photo, photographed by Malcolm Browne, became well-associated with his political protest. |
August 4, 1963 | Thích Nguyen Huong | 20s | Buddhist monk. Self-immolated in the town center of Phan Thiết. Government soldiers removed his body before other monks could recover it.[5] | ||
August 13, 1963 | Thích Thanh Tucd | 17 | Buddhist novice monk.[5] | ||
August 15, 1963 | Diet Quảng | – | Buddhist nun. Self-immolated in the courtyard of Từ Đàm Pagoda in Huế.[5] | ||
August 16, 1963 | Thích Tieu | 71 | Buddhist monk. He soaked his robes in gasoline and self-immolated in the courtyard of Từ Đàm Pagoda in Huế. Before, he announced over the loudspeaker that he was going to commit suicide in demand for Buddhist rights. After his death (the third self-immolation in one week), the government declared martial law, sparking more Buddhist protests.[5] | ||
October 27, 1963 | Ho Dan Van | 35–45 | Buddhist monk. Dressed in civilian clothing, he was dropped off by a motorcyclist in front of a Catholic cathedral in Saigon, where he squatted in a lotus-fashion, poured gasoline in his lap and struck a match.[6] | ||
January 25, 1964 | Kizappazuvur Chinnasamy | 27 | ![]() |
Imposition of Hindi over the Tamil language | Inspired 5 other self-immolations.[5][7] |
1965 | Keeranoor Muthu | 21 | Hotel worker[5] | ||
January 26, 1965 | Kodambakkam Sivalingam | 21 | Madras city government employee[5] | ||
January 27, 1965 | Virugambakkam Aranganathan | 33 | Worked in Madras for the Telephone Department.[5] | ||
February 11, 1965 | Ayampalayam Veerappan | 26 | School headmaster[5] | ||
February 1965 | Satyamangalam Muthu | 21 | Farmer[5] | ||
March 1965 | Mayavaram Sarangapani | 20 | Student[5] | ||
March 16, 1965 | Alice Herz | 82 | ![]() |
Vietnam War | Women Strike for Peace member. Self-immolated on a street corner in Detroit, Michigan.[5] |
July 23, 1965 | Huh Jik | 62 | ![]() |
Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea | Worked for a minor political party. Self-immolated on the steps of the Seoul Capitol.[5] |
October 12, 1965 | Hiroko Hayasaki | 36 | ![]() |
Vietnam War | Japanese American Buddhist. Self-immolated in San Diego, California.[5] |
November 2, 1965 | Norman Morrison | 31 | Quaker from Baltimore.[5] Committed act below Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara's Pentagon office in front of his one-year-old daughter.[8] | ||
November 9, 1965 | Roger Allen LaPorte | 22 | Catholic Worker. Self-immolated in front of the Headquarters of the United Nations in New York City.[9] | ||
November 9, 1965 | Celene Jankowski | 24 | Mother whose three-month-old baby girl died in October 1965. Her brother had also died in the Korean War. Self-immolated in front of her home in South Bend, Indiana.[5] Survived. | ||
May 28, 1966 | Thích Nữ Thanh Quảng | 55 | ![]() |
Government of Nguyễn Cao Kỳ and United States support of the regime (Buddhist Uprising) | Buddhist nun.[5][10] |
May 28, 1966 | Ho Thi Thieu | 58 | Buddhist laywoman. Self-immolated in pagoda in Saigon. Thousands were present, and monks covered her body with a Buddhist flag.[5][10] | ||
May 28, 1966 | Thích Nữ Vinh Ngoc | 19 | Buddhist nun. Self-immolated in Huế.[5][11] | ||
May 29, 1966 | Name missing | – | Buddhist monk self-immolated in Da Lat.[10] | ||
May 31, 1966 | Nguyen Thi Van | 17 | Buddhist laywoman. Self-immolated outside a pagoda in Huế.[5][11] | ||
May 31, 1966 | Name missing | – | Buddhist[11] | ||
May 31, 1966 | Name missing | – | Buddhist[11] | ||
June 4, 1966 | Thích Nữ Dien Dinh | 26 | Buddhist nun. Self-immolated in the courtyard of a small pagoda in Da Nang.[5][11] | ||
June 4, 1966 | Thích Nữ Bao Luan | 24 | Buddhist nun. Self-immolated in the same location as Thích Du Dien Dinh in Da Nang.[5][11] | ||
June 4, 1966 | Thích Dieu Nữ Tri | – | Buddhist nun. Self-immolated in the same location as Thích Du Dien Dinh in Da Nang.[5][11] | ||
June 4, 1966 | Name missing | – | Novice Buddhist monk. Self-immolated in Quảng Trị[11] | ||
June 17, 1966 | Woman; name missing | – | [5] | ||
July 12, 1966 | Liangqing | 70 | ![]() |
Destruction of the Famen Temple | Buddhist monk[12] |
May 16, 1967 | Nhất Chi Mai | 34 | ![]() |
Vietnam War | Buddhist nun[5][13] |
October 3, 1967 | Thích Nữ Tri | – | 1967 South Vietnamese presidential election | Buddhist nun[5][14] | |
October 8, 1967 | Woman; name missing | – | |||
October 15, 1967 | Florence Beaumont | 55 | ![]() |
Vietnam War | [15] |
October 22, 1967 | Thích Nữ Hue | – | ![]() |
1967 South Vietnamese presidential election | Buddhist nun[5][14] |
November 1, 1967 | Thích Nữ Thuong | – | |||
November 12, 1967 | Yui Chunoshin | 73 | ![]() |
Vietnam War | Esperantist[16][17][18] |
December 4, 1967 | Erik Thoen | 27 | ![]() |
Zen Buddhist. Self-immolated in Sunnyvale, California.[5] | |
March 19, 1968 | Ronald Brazee | 16 | Student. Died 5 weeks later.[19] | ||
September 8, 1968 | Ryszard Siwiec | 59 | ![]() |
Poland's participation in Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia | Died 4 days later.[20] |
November 5, 1968 | Vasyl Makukh | 40 | ![]() |
Soviet rule in Ukraine | Self-immolated on Khreshchatyk, Kyiv's main street, while shouting "Colonialism out of Ukraine!" and "Long live a free Ukraine!"[21] |
January 16, 1969 | Jan Palach | 20 | ![]() |
Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia | Student. Inspired other self-immolations in Soviet satellite states.[citation needed] |
January 20, 1969 | Sándor Bauer | 17 | ![]() |
Communist rule in Hungary and Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia | Died 3 Days later[5][22] |
January 20, 1969 | Josef Hlavatý | 25 | ![]() |
Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia | Blue-collar worker. Self-immolated in Plzeň. Died 5 days later.[5][23] |
January 22, 1969 | Miroslav Malinka | – | Blue-collar worker. Referenced Jan Palach. Self-immolated in Brno.[5][23] | ||
January 26, 1969 | Jan Bereš | 16 | Apprentice. Referenced Jan Palach. Self-immolated in Cheb.[23] | ||
February 10, 1969 | Mykola Bereslavsky | 45 | ![]() |
Soviet rule in Ukraine | [5] |
February 25, 1969 | Jan Zajíc | 19 | ![]() |
Communist rule in Czechoslovakia | Student[citation needed] |
April 2, 1969 | Evžen Plocek | 39 | Businessman[citation needed] | ||
April 9, 1969 | Eliyahu Rips | 20 | ![]() |
Survived. Later became professor of mathematics.[citation needed] | |
May 30, 1969 | Bruce Mayrock | 20 | ![]() |
Genocide against Biafra in the Nigerian Civil War | Columbia University student. Died several hours later.[citation needed] |
Date | Name | Age | Country | Protesting | Notes and references |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
February 13, 1970 | Márton Moyses | 28 | ![]() |
Communist rule in Romania | [5] |
May 6, 1970 | Robert Rex Vice | 27 | ![]() |
Vietnam War and Kent State Shootings | Non-student protester at Wabash College demonstration.[24] Died later in hospital. [1][2] |
May 10, 1970 | George Winne Jr. | 23 | ![]() |
Vietnam War | Student at the University of California, San Diego. Died the following day.[25] |
June 4, 1970 | Thích Nữ Lien Tap | 24 | ![]() |
Buddhist nun[5][14] | |
September 19, 1970 | Kostas Georgakis | 22 | ![]() |
Military rule in Greece | Student at the University of Genoa[citation needed] |
September 19, 1970 | Joseba Elosegi | 54 | ![]() |
Bombing of Guernica in 1937. Independence of the Basque Country. | Survived[5] |
November 13, 1970 | Jeon Tae-il | 22 | ![]() |
Labor conditions and the government's opposition to reform | [5] |
May 1971 | Nguyen Thi Co | – | ![]() |
Vietnam War | Buddhist nun[5][14] |
Thích Nữ Tinh Nhuan | – | ||||
August 16, 1971 | Man; name missing | – | Vietnam War veteran[5] | ||
Nguyen Minh Dang | 37 | Vietnam War veteran[5] | |||
October 1971 | Thích Nữ Tinh Cuong | – | Buddhist nun[5][14] | ||
1972 | Thích Nữ Dien Han | – | Buddhist nun[5][14] | ||
May 14, 1972 | Romas Kalanta | 19 | ![]() |
Communist rule in Lithuania | Inspired largest post-war riots in occupied Lithuania and the USSR and 13 other self-immolations |
May 29, 1972 | V. Stonys | 24 | Self-immolated in Varėna.[5] | ||
June 6, 1972 | Huguette Gaulin | 28 | ![]() |
[26] | |
1974 | Thích Nữ Du Dieu | – | ![]() |
Vietnam War | Buddhist nun[5][14] |
August 10, 1976 | Antanas Kalinauskas | 19 | ![]() |
Communist rule in Lithuania | In Soviet Army barracks in Gulbene, Latvia. Died the following day. |
August 22, 1976 | Oskar Brüsewitz | 47 | ![]() |
Communist repression of religion in East Germany | Lutheran pastor[27] |
February 10, 1977 | Alain Escoffier | 27 | ![]() |
Communism | Member of the Party of New Forces, a neo-fascist political party.[citation needed] |
November 16, 1977 | Hartmut Gründler | 37 | ![]() |
Atomic policy[citation needed] | |
January 21, 1978 | Oleksa Hirnyk | 65 | ![]() |
Communist rule in Ukraine[citation needed] | |
February 8, 1978 | Erika Ruppert | 24 | ![]() |
Political protest | Ruppert and Helmut Kleinknecht wrote a letter a day before their act in which they explained the reasoning behind their decision, and their affiliation with Ananda Marga. The next morning, she and Kleinknecht doused themselves with gasoline and self-immolated at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin.[28][29] |
February 8, 1978 | Helmut Kleinknecht | 28 | ![]() |
Political protest | Self-immolated along with Erika Ruppert at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin.[28][29] |
June 14, 1978 | Elizabeth Weniger | 25 | ![]() |
Political protest | Swiss-born Elizabeth Weniger self-immolated at Rizal Park in Manila after distributing leaflets explaining her reasons.[30][31][32] |
June 23, 1978 | Musa Mamut | 46 | ![]() |
Discrimination against Crimean Tatars in the Soviet residence permit system, which prohibited nearly all Crimean Tatars who were deported in 1944 from returning to their place of birth | Mamut was born and raised Crimea until the NKVD deported all Crimean Tatars to Central Asia in May 1944. He returned to Crimea in 1975 and was later arrested and charged for not having a residence permit to live there, despite being born in the peninsula; the residence permit system was designed to prevent exiled Crimean Tatars from returning to their homeland. Then police came to arrest him on 23 June 1978 Mamut self-immolated rather than being deported again and died 5 days later.[33] |
October 3, 1978 | Lynette Phillips | 24 | ![]() |
Social protest | Lynette Phillips had previously planned to self-immolate outside the British Houses of Parliament in London, but upon receiving word of this, British authorities deported her. She changed her plan and decided to self-immolate outside the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. She protested against "inhumanity, injustice and irrationality prevalent in our society". She died at the scene.[34] |
Date | Name | Age | Country | Protesting | Notes and references |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
March 21, 1980 | Walenty Badylak | 76 | ![]() |
Katyn massacre | Home Army veteran self-immolated chained to a well in the Main Square, Kraków.[35][36] |
March 21, 1981 | Per-Axel Arosenius | 60 | ![]() |
Taxes[citation needed] | |
May 18, 1982 | Mahmut Zengin Ferhat Kurtay
Eşref Anyık Necmi Öner |
![]() |
Detention conditions in Prison | The four were members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party protesting the detention conditions in the Diyarbakır prison after the coup d'état in 1980.[37] | |
May 26, 1982 | Semra Ertan | 25 | ![]() |
Racism towards Turkish workers in Germany | Writer and poet.[38] |
August 10, 1982 | Artin Penik | 61 | ![]() |
ASALA attack at Esenboğa International Airport[citation needed] | |
November 2, 1983 | Sebastián Acevedo | 52 | ![]() |
Kidnapping of his children by the Chilean police during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet | [39] |
February 2, 1985 | Mehmet Karahüseyinov | 40 | ![]() |
Treatment of Turks in Bulgaria | Self-immolated after Bulgarian government tried to change his name. Survived heavily wounded, died 5 years later.[40] |
February 14, 1986 | Orland Payne McCafferty | 58 | United States | Ronald Reagan's policies | |
March 2, 1989 | Liviu Cornel Babeş | 47 | ![]() |
Communist rule in Romania | Self-immolated on ski slope. Died 2 hours later.[41] |
March 2, 1989 | Vytautas Vičiulis | 37 | ![]() |
Communist rule in Lithuania[citation needed] | |
March 24, 1989 | Kailash Pawar | ![]() |
To draw attention to plight of Bhopal gas victims and protest public indifference | Original story published in The Hindu, March 26, 1990.[42] | |
April 7, 1989 | Cheng Nan-jung | 41 | ![]() |
For freedom of speech and Taiwan independence | |
May 19, 1989 | Chan I-hua | 32 | During funeral procession of Cheng Nan-jung.[43] | ||
October 24, 1989 | Shavkat Yarullin | 40 | ![]() |
In protest of exile and mistreatment of Crimean Tatars by the government | Self-immolated in front of a government building. Died several hours later.[44] |
December 14, 1989 | Seidamet Balji | In protest of exile and mistreatment of Crimean Tatars by the government | While being forced to leave Yalta he doused himself with gasoline and self-immolated. Survived after being extinguished, but said he would do it again if he had to live in exile for longer.[44] |
Date | Name | Age | Country | Protesting | Notes and references |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
March 21, 1990 | Zekiye Alkan | ![]() |
Ban of Newroz celebrations | Medical student who self-immolated on Newroz.[45][46] | |
April 26, 1990 | Stanislovas Žemaitis | 52 | ![]() |
Communist rule in Lithuania | Protesting Soviet economic blockade of Lithuania. Died the following day in Moscow hospital.[citation needed] |
April 29, 1990 | Sunghee Park | 19 | ![]() |
Political situation in South Korea | Self-immolated during students' protest against the South Korean regime. Died May 19, 1991.[citation needed] |
May 9, 1990 | Rimantas Daugintis | 55 | ![]() |
Communist rule in Lithuania | Lithuanian sculptor self-immolated on Hungarian–Soviet border. Died a few days later. |
September 19, 1990 | Rajiv Goswami | 19 | ![]() |
Reservation in India | Survived[47] |
October 14, 1990 | Thanawut Klingchuea | 20 | ![]() |
Government of Chatichai Choonhavan | Ramkhamhaeng University student[48] |
February 18, 1991 | Gregory Levey | 30 | ![]() |
Gulf War | Took place in Amherst Common, Massachusetts.[49] |
September 21, 1991 | Giorgi Abesadze | 35 | ![]() |
Looming civil war in Georgia | Physician[50] |
March 21, 1992 | Rahşan Demirel | ![]() |
Treatment of Kurds by Turkey | She self-immolated on Newroz.[46] | |
April 6, 1993 | Binh Gia Pham | 43 | ![]() |
Persecution of Buddhists in Vietnam | Binh Gia Pham had five friends tape his self-immolation outside Boston. Died at the scene.[51][52] |
April 29, 1993 | Graham Bamford | 48 | ![]() |
War in Bosnia and Herzegovina | 'The British army must not be a guard of honour at a mass funeral. Bosnian babies, children, and womenfolk are waiting for the politicians to do what they know they should – give them military protection.'[53] |
February 21, 1994 | Homa Darabi | 54 | ![]() |
Legal obligation under the Islamic Criminal Code (Art. 139) for women to wear the headscarf in public[54] | Pediatrician, political activist. Died the following day |
March 21, 1994 | Nilgün Yıldırım and Bedriye Taş | Repression of Kurdish identity and traditions | They immolated themselves on Newroz, an important festivity for the Kurds[46] | ||
April 25, 1995 | Reinhold Elstner | 75 | ![]() |
"Slander and demonization" of German soldiers after World War II | Wehrmacht veteran. Died in a Munich hospital 12 hours later.[citation needed] |
September 3, 1995 | Sabine Kratze | 25 | ![]() |
Trial of six Buddhist monks[citation needed] | |
December 15, 1995 | Abdul Raoob | 23 | ![]() |
Killing of the Sri Lankan Tamils | Self-immolated himself in Trichy, Tamil Nadu over the Killings of Sri Lankan Tamils committed by the Sinhalese-dominated Sri Lanka government and to Protest against India playing the Sri Lanka Cricket team in Chennai.[55] |
October 22, 1996 | Kathy Change | 46 | ![]() |
For directly democratic community-based self-government[citation needed] | |
January 13, 1998 | Alfredo Ormando | 39 | ![]() |
Catholic Church's condemnation of homosexuality[56] | |
April 27, 1998 | Thupten Ngodup | 60 | ![]() |
Political situation in Tibet | Ex-monk. In protest of police interference with unto-death hunger-strike in Delhi. Died 2 days later in hospital after visit by the Dalai Lama.[57][58][59] |
February 16, 1999 | Necla Coşkun | 14 | ![]() |
Arrest of Abdullah Öcalan | Survived[60][61] |
February 1999 | Zülkuf Yilmaz | ![]() |
Arrest of Abdullah Öcalan | Survived[62] |
Date | Name | Age | Country | Protesting | Notes and references |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
January 23, 2001 | various | – | ![]() |
See Tiananmen Square self-immolation incident | [63] |
April 2, 2001 | Shahraz Kayani | 48 | ![]() |
Government refusal to grant entry to his wife and daughters | Pakistani refugee[64] |
November 15, 2002 | Milos Redzepovic | 34 | ![]() |
Planned deportation of his family to Serbia | Doused himself in gasoline and self-immolated inside the town hall of Syke. Died the following day.[65] |
March 6, 2003 | Zdeněk Adamec | 19 | ![]() |
Iraq War | Self-immolated in Prague. Died at the scene.[66][67] |
June 23, 2003 | Neda Hassani | 26 | ![]() |
Raid on and arrest of members of the People's Mujahedin of Iran | Self-immolated in front of the French embassy in London. Died at the scene. There were at least 4 other self-immolations protesting the same.[68] |
July 21, 2004 | Mordehai (Hamimo) Cohen | 30 | ![]() |
Rejection of work license | Self-immolated during a City Hall assembly[69] |
October 5, 2004 | Maggy Mufu Delvaux | 44 | ![]() |
Protest against institutionalized racism | Self-immolated in a public place[70] Money problems resulting from the Luxembourgish government denying her family the authorisation to open a garage despite meeting all the legal requirements and suing the State for discrimination have driven the woman to desperately plead her case publicly after writing an open letter to the Prime Minister warning him of what she was about to do. However no help was sent to her to prevent her immolation.[71] |
August 17, 2005 | Yelena Businov | 54 | ![]() |
Protest against the Israeli disengagement from Gaza | [72] |
August 31, 2005 | Baruch Ben Menahem | 21 | [73] | ||
March 28, 2006 | Eleftheria Fourtoulaki | ![]() |
Treatment of Kurds in Turkey | [74] | |
June 11, 2006 | Pravin Joshi | 30 | ![]() |
Screening of Fanaa | Died 9 days later.[75] |
October 31, 2006 | Roland Weisselberg | 73 | ![]() |
Spread of Islam | Former Lutheran pastor self-immolated in a former monastery in Erfurt. Died the following day.[76] |
November 3, 2006 | Malachi Ritscher | 52 | ![]() |
War in Iraq | Died at the scene.[77] |
November 23, 2006 | Lhakpa Tsering | 23 | ![]() |
Political situation in Tibet | Survived.[citation needed] |
March 7, 2007 | Uddhav Bhandari | 40 | ![]() |
Asylum policy | Nepali asylum seeker[78] |
April 1, 2007 | Heo Se-uk | 54 | ![]() |
South Korea – United States Free Trade Agreement | [79] |
October 1, 2008 | Ramiro Guillén Tapia | 65 | ![]() |
Local government in the city of Xalapa | [80] |
January 29, 2009 | Kumar Muthukumar | 26 | ![]() |
Killing of the Sri Lankan Tamils | Inspired several other self-immolations[81] |
February 12, 2009 | Murugathasan Varnakulasingham | 26 | ![]() |
Killing of the Sri Lankan Tamils | Inspired several other self-immolations[82] |
February 27, 2009 | Tapey | mid-20s | ![]() |
Political situation in Tibet | Monk, Kirti Monastery, Ngaba. Shot[83] by Chinese police while on fire, and then taken away by them. Current status unknown.[83] |
November 13, 2009 | Tang Fu-zhen | 47 | Forced demolition of her home | Died 16 days later.[84] | |
December 3, 2009 | Kasoju Srikanth Chary | 24 | ![]() |
For statehood of Telangana | Died the following day.[85] |
Date | Name | Age | Country | Protesting | Notes and references |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
February 20, 2010 | Siripur Yadaiah | 19 | ![]() |
For statehood of Telangana | Student. Self immolated at the main gate of Osmania University, Hyderabad. Died the next day in hospital.[86][87] |
July 31, 2010 | Eshan Reddy | 20s | Student. Self-immolated as an offering for a deity for the cause of statehood.[88] | ||
September 10, 2010 | Ye Zhongcheng | 79 | ![]() |
Forced demolition of their home | Zhongcheng self-immolated with two family members and died on September 18.[89] |
December 17, 2010 | Tarek el-Tayeb Mohamed Bouazizi | 26 | ![]() |
Corruption in government | Inspired the Tunisian revolution leading to ouster of President Ben Ali and further revolutions of the Arab Spring. Died January 4, 2011.[90] |
January 16, 2011 | Venugopala Reddy | 20s | ![]() |
For statehood of Telangana | MCA student immolated himself near his university auditorium,died on the spot.[91] |
January 16, 2011 | Mohsen Bouterfif | – | ![]() |
Unemployment and housing | Inspired by Bouazizi's self-immolation in Tunisia.[92] |
January 16, 2011 | Bhavani | 18 | ![]() |
For statehood of Telangana | [93] |
January 17, 2011 | Yacoub Ould Dahoud | 43 | ![]() |
Political situation in Mauritania | [94] |
January 23, 2011 | Unnamed man | 60s | ![]() |
Political situation in Saudi Arabia | [95] |
February 21, 2011 | Mustafa | 40 | ![]() |
For statehood of Telangana | [96] |
March 16, 2011 | Rigzin Phuntsog | 21 | ![]() |
Political situation in Tibet | Monk of Kirti Monastery. In Ngaba, Amdo. Beaten by police before they extinguished the flames. Died in hospital.[97][98][99] |
June 15, 2011 | Thomas James Ball | 58 | ![]() |
Father's rights and family court injustice | Self immolated on the steps of a family courthouse in New Hampshire. Died on the spot.[100] |
August 15, 2011 | Tsewang Norbu | 29 | ![]() |
Political situation in Tibet | Monk of Nyitso monastery in Kham Tawu. In Tawu. Died soon afterwards.[97][99][101] |
August 28, 2011 | Senkodi | 27 | ![]() |
Convictions in the Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi case | A Tamil woman immolated herself in front of a tahsil office at Kanchipuram to protest death sentences of A. G. Perarivalan, V. Sriharan (alias Murugan), and T. Suthendraraja (alias Santhan). She died the same day.[102] |
September 16, 2011 | Apostolos Polyzonis | 55 | ![]() |
European sovereign-debt crisis | Self-immolated in front of a bank in Thessaloniki.[103] |
September 23, 2011 | Andrzej Żydek | 49 | ![]() |
Opposition to the Civic Platform government | Occurred in front of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland. A letter to Donald Tusk was found attached to a bench in the park.[104][105] |
March 17, 2012 | Sonam Thargyal (Dargye, Dhargay) | 44 | ![]() |
Farmer in Rebkong, Amdo. Died on the spot.[106][107] | |
March 24, 2012 | L Bhoja Naik | 21 | ![]() |
For statehood of Telangana | MBA student self-immolated in front of his college. Died on the spot.[108] |
March 26, 2012 | Jamphel Yeshi | 27 | ![]() |
Political situation in Tibet | Layperson in Delhi. Died 2 days later in hospital.[109][110] |
March 26, 2012 | Rajmouli | 40 | ![]() |
For statehood of Telangana | [111][112] |
March 26, 2012 | B.R. Goud | n/a | ![]() |
For statehood of Telangana | [111] |
March 27, 2012 | Pallavi | 17 | ![]() |
For statehood of Telangana | Died later in hospital.[113] |
March 27, 2012 | Kalakanchi Ilaiah | 30 | ![]() |
For statehood of Telangana | Scrap dealer.[114] |
March 28, 2012 | K Uppalaiah | 30 | ![]() |
For statehood of Telangana | [115] |
March 28, 2012 | Lobsang Sherab | 20 | ![]() |
Political situation in Tibet | Monk of Kirti Monastery.[116] In Ngaba, Amdo. Died on the spot.[117][118] |
March 28, 2012 | Sripuram Srikanth | 23 | ![]() |
For statehood of Telangana | Died on March 30 at the Osmania General Hospital.[119] |
March 30, 2012 | Tenpa Dhargyal (Darjey) | 22 | ![]() |
Political situation in Tibet | Monk of Tsodun monastery, Barkham, Amdo. Forcibly removed to hospital by Chinese security forces. Current status unknown.[120][121] |
March 30, 2012 | Chimey Palden (Chime) | 21 | ![]() |
Political situation in Tibet | Monk of Tsodun monastery, Barkham, Amdo. Forcibly removed to hospital by Chinese security forces.[121][122] Died later that day around midnight.[123] |
March 30, 2012 | Shyamapuri Shankar | 24 | ![]() |
For statehood of Telangana | [124] |
March 30, 2012 | Bandavath Suresh | 25 | ![]() |
For statehood of Telangana | Suffered 50% burns.[125] |
July 14, 2012 | Moshe Silman | 57 | ![]() |
Social justice march in Tel Aviv | Social justice activist, suffered 90% burns.[126] Died July 20 in hospital.[127] |
July 16, 2012 | Zion Vaknin[128] | 46 | ![]() |
Social injustice protest | At Beersheba's city hall, in protest of debts.[129] |
July 18, 2012 | Valentina Gerasimovna | 57 | ![]() |
A woman attempted to self-immolate at the public reception center of the ruling United Russia party in Novosibirsk. Earlier, she addressed the party's public reception center for legal advice as an apartment buyer.[130][131] Died in a hospital.[132] | |
July 20, 2012 | Akiva Mafi | 45 | ![]() |
Social injustice protest | Akiva Mafi[133] (45) Disabled IDF veteran sets himself on fire in Yehud, on behalf of wounded veterans.[134][135] Died August 1, 2012.[136] New agency established to prevent more cases. |
July 30, 2012 | Đặng Thị Kim Liêng | 64 | ![]() |
Against 2011 crackdown on Vietnamese youth activists[137] | Tạ Phong Tần's mother. Self-immolated in the early morning. Died en route to the hospital.[138] |
February 18, 2013 | Trayan Marechkov | 26 | ![]() |
Part of the 2013 Bulgarian protests | Died on the spot, at a central crossroads, in front of the central office of a private bank in Veliko Tarnovo.[139][140] |
February 20, 2013 | Plamen Goranov | 36 | ![]() |
Part of the 2013 Bulgarian protests against the Borisov cabinet | Protested corruption and monopolies,[141] and demanded the resignation of Varna's mayor Kiril Yordanov and the Municipal Council.[142] Mountain climber and photographer. Set himself alight in front of the Varna municipality. Died 11 days later in hospital.[143][144] |
February 26, 2013 | Ventzislav Vasilev | 53 | ![]() |
Part of the 2013 Bulgarian protests | Father of five.[145] Set himself on fire in Radnevo. Died in hospital two weeks later. |
March 13, 2013 | Dimitar Dimitrov | 51 | ![]() |
Part of the 2013 Bulgarian protests | Set himself on fire in front of the Presidential Palace in Sofia. Hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.[146][147] |
March 20, 2013 | Todor Yovchev | 40 | ![]() |
Part of the 2013 Bulgarian protests | Died on March 22[148] |
May 24, 2013 | Bowatte Indarathana | 30 | ![]() |
Against the slaughtering of cattle and alleged conversion of Buddhists to minority religions in Sri Lanka[149] | |
June 12, 2013 | Andrzej Filipiak | 56 | ![]() |
Unemployed receiving no help from the state | Occurred across the street from the Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland[150][151][152] |
June 20, 2014 | Thu Hoang | 71 | ![]() |
In apparent response to the Hai Yang Shi You 981 standoff | Apparent protest by a Vietnamese man of a Chinese state-owned oil rig being placed into waters contested by Vietnam in the South China Sea[153] |
June 23, 2014 | Charles R. Moore | 79 | Social injustice[154] | Set himself alight in a strip mall parking lot, died upon arrival at hospital. | |
March 14, 2015 | Younes Asakere | 34 | ![]() |
Discrimination of Ahwazi Arabs | Self-immolated after local authorities confiscated his vendor stall in Khorramshahr. Died on March 22.[155] Inspired a mass protest which resulted in arrests of some 1,000 people and further self-immolations.[156] |
August 12, 2015 | Choi Yeon-yeol | 80 | ![]() |
Japanese colonization of Korea and military conduct during World War II[157] | Set himself on fire in a flower bed near the Japanese embassy in Seoul during an anti-Japan protest by "comfort women" (survivors of World War II Japanese military brothels). Injuries sustained were not life-threatening. Condition Pending.[158] |
October 18, 2015 | Khodayar Amini | 30 | ![]() |
Australian refugee policy | Self-immolated in Melbourne during a video call to his advocates.[159] |
October 24, 2015 | Erlan Bektibaev | 20 | ![]() |
Social injustice | Doused himself with gasoline and set himself on fire on October 24 in front of the Taraz headquarters of the ruling Nur Otan party in Taraz. Bektibayev was rushed to hospital, but later died of his burns.[citation needed] |
February 28, 2016 | Dorjee Tsering | 16 | ![]() |
Political situation in Tibet | Survived and recovered in a New Delhi hospital. American presidential candidate Hillary Clinton held up his photograph while speaking to a Tibetan advocacy group.[160] |
March 19, 2016 | Charles Ingram | 51 | ![]() |
Corruption at the United States Department of Veterans Affairs | Military veteran walked nine miles to a military veteran hospital before self-immolated in the hospital's parking lot.[161] |
April 27, 2016 | Omid Masoumali | 23 | ![]() |
Australian refugee policy | Iranian refugee self-immolated at an Australian refugee detention camp during a visit to the camp by representatives of a UNHCR fundraising arm (Australia for UNHCR) who told the refugees to expect to remain on Nauru for "another ten years".[162] After more than 24 hours without adequate medical attention he was airlifted by private contractor to Brisbane, Australia where he died on 29 April 2016 from his burns.[163] |
May 2, 2016 | Hodan Yasi | 21 | In an Australian refugee detention camp. Woman from Somalia (variously referred to as Hadon/Hodan and Yasin/Yasi) was airlifted from Nauru to Brisbane[164] but her condition as at late May 2016 is shrouded in secrecy. It seems she may still be alive, since her death would have to be reported under Queensland Law and an inquest into her death held as she would be deemed to be a "Death in Custody" had she died.[citation needed] | ||
May 19, 2017[citation needed] | Unknown[citation needed] | 54[citation needed] | ![]() |
Islamization of Germany | Died in hospital. Police said the man had scrawled slogans on his car along the lines of "Never again war on German soil" and "Amri is only the tip of the iceberg" — a reference to Anis Amri, the Tunisian who attacked a Christmas market in Berlin and whom authorities had previously been unable to deport.[165] |
July 15, 2017 | Tenzin Choeying | 20 | ![]() |
Political situation in Tibet | Suffered 50% burns. Died nine days later from his injuries.[166] |
July 29, 2017 | Pasang Dhondup | 49 | Died in Dharamshala[167] | ||
September 21, 2017 | Zdenek Hanzlik | 60 | ![]() |
Family Court Injustices | Zdenek "Sid" Hanzlik, died in Wellington Hospital after setting himself on fire outside Parliament protesting against 'perceived injustices' in the Family Court [168] |
October 19, 2017 | Piotr Szczęsny | 54 | ![]() |
Rule of Law and Justice political party | Leaflets[169][170] were strewn around him on the ground outside of the Palace of Culture and Science, and a speaker was broadcasting a song by a 1990s Polish rock band titled "I love freedom".[171][172][173] |
January 15, 2018 | Dmitry Rudov | 39 | ![]() |
Corruption of government | After being sacked from Gazprom's subsidiary and unsuccessfully appealing to President Putin, he set himself on fire in front of Ishimbay's City Hall in Bashkortostan. Died in hospital the next day.[174] |
April 14, 2018 | David Buckel | 60 | ![]() |
Climate change and pollution[175] |
In a note sent to The New York Times and other news outlets, along with a copy attached to a shopping cart near his body he stated fossil fuel use and the environmental destruction it causes as the reason he decided to end his life by self-immolation with fossil fuels. Buckel was a prominent lawyer for gay rights, and was involved in environmental causes.[176][177][178] |
May 20, 2018 | Fathi Harb | 20 | ![]() |
Economic situation in Gaza | Died on May 23.[179][180] |
June 20, 2018 | Chloe Sagal | 31 | ![]() |
Homelessness and mental health issues | Several days after threatening self-harm with a machete, Sagal walked into a downtown Oregon Park, read a statement regarding homelessness and mental health before covering herself with fluid and setting herself alight.[181] |
June 26, 2018 | John Watts | 58 | Corruption at the United States Department of Veterans Affairs | Military veteran self-immolated on the steps of the Georgia state Capitol to protest corruption at the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.[182] | |
August 3, 2018 | Vatan Karabash | 47–48 | Crimea (disputed) | Russian annexation of Crimea and repressions of the Crimean Tatars | Karabash set himself on fire in public, declaring Russia policies to be lawless; he had previously expressed anger at plans for demolition of Crimean Tatar houses in Russian-annexed Crimea, which had been deemed "illegal" since they were built before deported Crimean Tatars were permitted to return. Bystanders put out the flames and the injuries were reported to be non-fatal.[183] |
August 15, 2018 | Unknown | 50s | ![]() |
Homelessness | A woman in her fifties (later identified under the pseudonym "Melanie Smith"), under threat of eviction and suffering from mental health issues set herself on fire at the housing office of Barnet London Borough Council. She died in intensive care several months later, with council employees reportedly having been ordered not to discuss the incident with journalists.[184][185] |
September 19, 2018 | Nicholas McCrary | 29 | ![]() |
Involuntary celibacy and mental health | McCrary was a prolific YouTuber who had autism and whose videos were popular with "blackcels" (black incels). He also used the pseudonym Baraka Mckray, and accused black women of being "prejudiced" against autistic men such as himself.[186][187] |
September 27, 2018 | Unknown | ![]() |
Against the imprisonment of Abdullah Öcalan | Self-immolated in Ingolstadt, as Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was to visit Germany.[188] | |
November 28, 2018 | Mahsun Özen | 21 | ![]() |
Treatment of Kurds in Turkey | Self-immolated on the anniversary of the Roboski airstrike in which 34 Kurds died[189] |
January 18, 2019 | Name missing | 54 | ![]() |
In memory of Jan Palach who burned himself to death in 1969, protesting the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia | Suffered 30% burns after setting himself on fire at the central Wenceslas Square of Prague on the 50th anniversary of Jan Palach's death from his self-immolation protest against the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia. According to Czech authorities, "he said it was only a remembrance to Jan Palach".[190] |
Februar 20, 2019 | Name missing | 43 | ![]() |
Against the imprisonment of Abdullah Öcalan | Self-immolated in front of the Court in Krefeld, Germany[191] |
May 29, 2019 | Arnav Gupta | 33 | ![]() |
Unknown | An Indian-origin resident of Bethesda, Maryland died in hospital that day after setting himself on fire near the White House in Washington, D.C. while wearing a USA T-shirt. The Washington Post described his actions as "an unmistakable protest, the loudest, most spectacular cry that people in pain can come up with."[192] |
July 19, 2019 | Unknown | 70s | ![]() |
Unknown | A man used 20 liters of fuel to set himself on fire in his car in the early morning outside the Japanese embassy in Seoul. He died several hours later in the hospital.[193] |
September 9, 2019 | Sahar Khodayari | 29 | ![]() |
The right for women in Iran to attend a football match alongside men | The Iranian female football fan died that day, one week after setting herself on fire outside an Iranian court, reportedly after learning she may have to serve a six-month sentence for trying to enter a football stadium (alongside men).[194] |
September 10, 2019 | Albert Razin | 79 | ![]() |
The declining status and use of the Udmurt language in Russia. | The scholar and activist set himself on fire outside the State Council building in Izhevsk, Udmurt Republic, as the regional government was considering passing a bill to reduce the status of the indigenous Udmurt language in the republic. Razin died the same day.[195][196] |
October 23, 2019 | Unknown | ![]() |
In protest of the Turkish invasion of Syria | A Syrian Kurdish man set himself on fire in front of the seat of the UNHCR in Geneva.[197] | |
November 10, 2019 | Anas K. | 22 | ![]() |
Student living costs, fascism, neoliberalism | A 22-year-old man enrolled at Lyon 2 University set himself on fire in front of a university restaurant in response to being unable to sustain himself on €450 a month. In a post on Facebook, he blamed Emmanuel Macron, François Hollande, Nicolas Sarkozy and the EU for having "killed" him, and also attacked Marine Le Pen and media figures for creating fear, also urging readers to "Fight against the rise of fascism which divides us, and against liberalism which creates inequalities". He was admitted to hospital with 90% burns over his body.[198][199] |
Date | Name | Age | Country | Protesting | Notes and references |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
July 18, 2020 | Linda J. Zhang | 18 | ![]() |
Protesting climate change inaction[200] | High school student from New York self-immolated and died from injuries. A climate activist who left an op-ed to the New York Times before she died.[200] |
February 7, 2020 | Adem Yarıcı | 42 | ![]() |
Unemployment in Turkey | 42-year-old unemployed man, father of two, set himself on fire in front of Hatay governor's office. Witnesses said that he shouted "My kids are hungry!" before setting himself ablaze. He died on the same day. The governor claimed that Yarıcı divorced from his wife a while ago, had mental illness and attempt to self-immolate before. |
June 16, 2020 | unknown | 48 | ![]() |
Unknown | A 48-year-old man set himself on fire shortly after talking to journalists outside of the Sejm building in Warsaw, Poland.[204] |
July 27, 2020 | Arie den Dekker | 54 | ![]() |
Murder witness, removed from family, turned homeless | Den Dekker had witnessed a murder in 2018. Following this, his house was torched multiple times and he was put into a witness protection program. Unable to be with his family and having his pleas ignored by the municipality and the government, Den Dekker protested in front of Oss' city hall multiple times, throwing dead fish inside, dousing himself in cow feces and committing other acts of despair on multiple occasions. On July 27 he committed suicide by self-immolation in front of the city hall.[205] |
August 3, 2020 | Yavuz Polat | 46 | ![]() |
Economical issues | A 47-year-old street vendor from Erzincan set himself on fire after the police wanted him to remove his corn stall. He died on August 27.[206][207] |
August 4, 2020 | Anastasia Niklas | 24 | ![]() |
Unknown | 24-year-old Anastasia Niklas lit herself on fire in Zaporizhia, Ukraine, outside a Catholic church in the center of the city.[208] According to a security guard who was on duty, the woman arrived around 4:00 am, doused herself with gasoline, and lit herself on fire. Her motives remain unknown, she died on the spot.[209] |
August 14, 2020 | Fikret Güven | ![]() |
Economical issues | A tea maker set himself on fire in front of the Bursa governorship after the police closed the roads to his shop. | |
September 18, 2020 | Syarhei Radchenya | 36 | ![]() |
Fraudulent election and follow-on police abuse and brutality against protests in Belarus. | 36-year-old Syarhei Radchenya set himself on fire in Smalavichy, Belarus, near the local police department. According to the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Syarhei poured gasoline over himself from a canister and set it on fire after which an employee ran out of the district department building and put out the fire. Syarhei was hospitalized in critical condition with burns on 84% of his body surface, including the respiratory tract. He died on September 25, 2020, as a result of his injuries.[212] |
October 2, 2020 | Irina Slavina | 47 | ![]() |
Journalist; her apartment was searched the day before by the police alleging her ties to the Open Russia group | Russian journalist Irina Slavina set herself on fire in front of the Interior Ministry office in Nizhniy Novgorod. She has died there of the resulting burns.[213][214] |
February 12, 2021 | Halil S. | ![]() |
Against the detention conditions of Abdullah Öcalan | He set himself on fire in front of the Landtag in Dresden[215][216] | |
April 12, 2021 | Itzik Saidyan | 26 | ![]() |
Government treatment of disabled veterans | He set himself on fire in front of the Defense Ministry's rehabilitation department offices in Petah Tikva that handles the rehabilitation of injured soldiers,[217] two days before the annual Memorial Day. Saidian fought in the 2014 war in Gaza, Operation Protective Edge, and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.[218] |
January 1, 2022 | Unknown | ![]() |
Vaccine ID and mandates | He set himself on fire on Church St. in Richmond, Victoria, sustaining life-threatening injuries. The man was stopped by paramedics and police.[219][220] | |
January 31, 2022 | Unknown | ![]() |
Unknown | Man of unknown identity set himself on fire in front of a Carabinieri barrack Rende, Calabria, sustaining life-threatening injuries. Local police and man's family confirm man was twice vaccinated and self-immolation was not due to the vaccine mandate. | |
February 25, 2022 | Tsewang Norbu | 25 | ![]() |
Political situation in Tibet | Popular Tibetan singer from Nangchu. Self-immolated in front of the Potala Palace in Lhasa. Died in the hospital a few days later. |
April 22, 2022 | Wynn Bruce | 54 | ![]() |
Protesting climate change inaction[223] | Man from Boulder, Colorado self-immolated in front of the Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C. Died from injuries.[224] Described himself as a Buddhist and climate activist.[223] |
May 18, 2022 | Krishanpal | 52 | ![]() |
Police inaction | He set himself ablaze outside an SSP office alleging police inaction over a complaint he filed against some people for destroying his crops.[225][226] |
September 21, 2022 | Unknown | 70s | ![]() |
Funeral of Shinzo Abe | A man in his 70s set himself on fire near the Prime Minister's Official Residence in protest of the decision to hold an official state funeral for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.[227] |
March 1, 2023 | Chet Bohrer | 42 | ![]() |
Bullying and mental health | 42 year old resident of Salt Lake City, Utah set himself on fire at Bancroft Way and Telegraph Ave on the UC Berkeley campus. He had no known affiliation with the university. Bohrer died in the hospital from his injuries days later. He claimed to have been bullied and spied on by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.[228] |
April 13, 2023 | Nizar Issaoui | 35 | ![]() |
Human rights in Tunisia, Anti-police sentiment | A local Tunisian footballer died after setting himself on fire in what he said was a protest against Tunisia's “police state”.[229] During his funeral, demonstrators started throwing stones at police, who retaliated with tear gas.[230] |
August 1, 2023 | Bar Kalaf | 33 | ![]() |
The Defense Ministry denying him disability status | Kalaf served in the Israeli Defense Force from 2008 to 2011 and saw combat in Operation Protective Edge as a reservist, where he claimed he developed post-traumatic stress disorder. The Defense Ministry rejected his application for disability status, stating he had a mental disorder unrelated to his military duties. Kalaf self-immolated in his home and afterwards was rushed to Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan where he died.[231] [232] |
November 8, 2023 | Unknown | ![]() |
Protest of the genocide in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). | Congolese man set himself on fire to protest the ongoing genocide in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The video, which was posted on Twitter on November 8, shows the man, who has not been identified, standing in front of a crowd in Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC, holding a sign that reads “Stop the genocide in Congo”. [233] [234] [235] | |
December 1, 2023 | Unknown | ![]() |
Protest of the continuation of the Israeli Government's bombardment[236] of Palestinians in Gaza. | A protester self-immolated outside the Israeli Consulate in Atlanta, Georgia; following what officials described as "an act of extreme political protest," a Palestinian national flag was recovered at the scene.[237][238] |