Woman sets herself alight at protest

A woman set herself on fire during protests in Paris today against a police raid on the offices of an Iranian opposition group.

The Iranian woman, 42-year-old Marzieh Babakhani, was rushed to the hospital after other protesters put out the flames, said Shain Gobadi, of the National Council of Resistance of Iran.

Police said that Babakhani suffered serious burns to her upper body, including her face, after dousing herself with a flammable liquid and lighting a match.

The Paris demonstration, which drew about 50 people, took place outside the headquarters of France’s counter-intelligence agency, DST.

It was the third dramatic protest in Europe against Tuesday’s crackdown on the People’s Mujahedeen of Iran, which is accused of terrorism by the United States and the European Union.

A 38-year-old man set himself on fire during a protest outside the French Embassy in London yesterday. He was rushed to hospital with 40% burns.

About 50 protesters in Hamburg, Germany, were detained after some entered the Iranian consulate, kicking over furniture.