A Romanian set himself on fire, protesting against the Italian bureaucracy

Vineri, 15 mai 2009, 13:39 English | Top News

A Romanian protested against the Italian bureaucracy in front of the Il Vittoriano in Rome on Thursday afternoon. He set himself on fire because he could not obtain an ID card and other documents that would have allowed him to qualify for invalidity pension, Il Messaggero informs. Stelian Buznean has suffered arm and leg burns, but his life is not endangered.

The Romanian has been living in Italy for seven years. He turned 41 two days ago. On Thursday afternoon, around 6:30 P.M., se sat inside a flower rondo, took a bottle of alcohol out of his bag, poured it on his feet and lit himself up.

He was hospitalised at Sant Eugenio hospital after he was saved by carabineers.  Romanian Stelian Buznean declares he did this to make his story known to the public. Buznean recognises he’s desperate because he cannot manage to get the insurance money he says he’s entitled to as compensation for an accident he was involved in one year ago. "The accident turned me into a cripple, I cannot work anymore", he says. According to the Romanian, he used to work as a builder and he had a legal employment contract. He was run down by a motorcycle on the street. After a surgical intervention, he could not move one of his legs and, since then, nobody would hire him.  

The authorities "told me that I cannot get an ID since I’m a foreigner. Therefore, I will not receive any pension. I can neither work, nor live", the Romanian recounts. He says he set himself on fire so that someone would listen to his story, a story of a man who wants to integrate in Italy, to work legally and live honestly, enjoying the same rights as any Italian citizen.