Homophobic attack: a young paramedic dies after being set on fire in Latvia | the Chronicle

The death of a young gay man in Latvia last Thursday from burns after being sprayed with fuel and burned has shocked the Eastern European country. According to the complaint of LGTBIQ militant organizations and of human rights associations, it was a homophobic attack. On the other hand, they accuse the local police of having done nothing about it and They are calling for his death to be investigated as a hate crime.

Normunds Kindzulis, a 29-year-old paramedic, He died of burns on 85% of his body on April 23, when it was sprayed with flammable fuel and set on fire, in suspected arson at his home.

Her roommate was also burnt in the fire when he tried to help Normunds, who claimed to have found him “”burning like a torch“”.

According to information provided by international media, the young man had already received several death threats for homophobia. who moved from Riga to Tukums, 70 km from the capital to escape these situations.

But in Tukums it was also victim of homophobic behavior and he was physically assaulted four times before the event that caused his death.

Local police have not ruled out suicide caused by the threats he received, although organizations claim it was a hate crime.

“Normunds Kindzulis, victim of the homophobic arson in Latvia last week, died of his injuries. Our condolences to his partner and his family, as well as to our entire community in Latvia“he wrote on the official Euro Pride (EPOA) Twitter account, the European Association of Pride Organizers.