African asylum seeker Oury Jalloh was burned alive inside a police cell in Dessau in 2005. A private initiative has since been fighting to uncover the truth behind his death. According to official accounts, he set fire to his mattress himself — even though his hands and feet were bound to a bunk bed. One police officer was charged for involuntary manslaughter in 2012, as the prisoner was under his guard. A new assessment demonstrates that it is improbable that Jalloh lit the fire himself; the involvement of the police is more likely. It remains to be seen if the case will be reopened.