Sweden Jails Syrian Refugee Six Years for Setting Fire to Hostel

W460

A Swedish court on Tuesday jailed a Syrian national for six years after he admitted setting fire to the asylum seekers' hostel he had been staying in.

Although it caused no injuries, the July 7 fire caused extensive damage to the center in Surahammer, in the southeast of Sweden.

Obada Albaradan, 28, arrived in the country in August 2015 and was treated for depression and epilepsy.

He said he had started the blaze by setting fire to the curtains in his bedroom.

Under police questioning Albaradan complained of serious mental health problems, of not being listened to by the authorities and of not getting on well and being insulted by other asylum-seekers.

"He just wanted to die and be in peace (and was) fed up with everything," one investigator said at the end of his first court hearing.

Once he has served his sentence Albaradan is set be deported and banned from returning to Sweden indefinitely.

He was also ordered to compensate 12 asylum seekers and staff members of the center for their losses caused by the blaze.

Comments 0