Dubai: Two of four detainees at Al Qusais Police Station pleaded not guilty to charges they set their detention cell on fire after the duty officer allegedly deprived them of cigarettes.

Three Emiratis and an Iranian were indicted before the Dubai Court of First Instance of charges which include arson, destruction of property and endangering the lives of 65 other detainees. However, only 21-year-old Emirati F.Q. and Iranian M.A., 27, appeared before Presiding Judge Dr Ali Galadari. Jail wardens failed to bring the remaining defendants — A.H., 25, and G.E., 24, — to court.

"No. Not at all… I didn't start any fire," said F.Q

For his part, M.A. said: "No. I am not guilty… I didn't do it," .

M.A.'s lawyer, Hussain Al Bannai, sought bail for his client saying: "My client is not connected to the case. He was recently acquitted in another case. In this case, the evidence against him is insufficient."

Demands

A police corporal testified that the incident on a Friday afternoon started when the defendants refused to take their lunch.

"The [catering] company's employee came to me and informed me that the detainees refused to take their lunch. Upon enquiring why, the detainees asked to meet the station's director or the duty officer because they have demands. The detainees informed the duty officer that they wanted cigarettes [as well as] other demands," the police corporal said. The officer on duty relayed the detainees' message to the police station director, who approved part of their demands and rejected others.

"Minutes later, we discovered that the chamber had been set on fire and smoke puffed out. Civil defence teams came and extinguished the fire," the corporal said in his prosecution statement.

An Emirati detainee testified that the defendants constantly complained that the police station director deprived them of cigarettes among other things.

"Following negotiations, the duty officer brought us four packs of cigarettes. The detainees refused to take them because the [cigarettes] were not enough for all detainees," the witness said.

"Smoke puffed out two minutes after I had returned to my bed... I spotted the suspects near the fire," the witness added.

A Pakistani detainee told prosecutors he saw F.Q. holding a lighter.

The trial continues on June 6.