It is not possible to prove that the fire at the Schiphol airport deportation centre in October 2005 was arson, says Eduard Damman, lawyer for the 24-year-old Libyan accused of starting the fire, which killed 11 people.

Damman bases his statement on the results of the technical investigation carried out for the public prosecution department.
The accused says the fire was an accident and his bedding caught fire after he flicked away the end of his cigarette. According to Damman, the investigation concludes that ‘it is not possible to distinguish between throwing away a cigarette-end and arson.’
The public prosecutor will not comment.