Overview
- Prosecutors say the eight men threw burning cigarettes and alcohol from their hotel balcony onto the reed roof of the Why Not Mallorca bar, sparking a fire on May 20, 2022 that injured patrons and damaged nearby property.
- The criminal trial will be held in Palma de Mallorca from May 2 to May 15, 2028, and will focus on the eight defendants who spent roughly two months in pretrial detention in 2022.
- Spain’s public prosecutor is seeking seven years in prison for each defendant and roughly €100,000 in joint compensation from the group.
- The defendants were released after a €500,000 bail payment in 2022 and their lawyer, María Barbancho, won a court decision in February 2026 ordering most of that sum returned.
- Authorities and courts say the multi‑year postponement stems from overburdened Mallorcan courts, a delay that prolongs uncertainty for victims, strains evidence timelines, and gives the defense time to prepare a contested innocence claim.