Overview
- The ruling orders roughly €368,569 of the original €500,000 deposit returned to the eight defendants, who spent about 56 days in pre-trial detention in 2022.
- The indictment for intentional arson remains in place, with prosecutors seeking seven-year prison terms per defendant and €100,000 in collective compensation; no trial date is set.
- The court deemed the earlier security disproportionate and insufficiently justified, noting the bar owner’s claimed lost profits were not substantiated.
- Investigators allege burning cigarette butts thrown from a hotel balcony ignited the thatched roof of the 'Why Not Mallorca' bar, which was destroyed along with damage to nearby premises, a claim the accused deny.
- Scrutiny of the case has intensified, with experts rejecting suggestions that beer acted as a fire accelerant and the defense highlighting numerous exculpatory indications, including defendants who assisted evacuees and suffered smoke inhalation.