A Haarlem court has found 25-year-old Libyan Ahmed al-J. guilty of starting the fatal fire in a deportation cell complex in Schiphol-Oost in October 2005 and sentenced him to three years in jail.

The fire was started by a cigarette in Al-J’s cell. Security personnel saved the Libyan but left his door cell open which enabled the fire to spread and ultimately cost 11 detainees their lives.
A government investigation had concluded last September that the authorities were largely to blame for the tragedy since the cell complex did not meet fire safety regulations.
The ministers responsible, Sybilla Dekker (VVD) and Piet Hein Donner (CDA) both resigned, along with the mayor of Haarlemmermeer