Italy formally protested on Saturday the release on bail of the owner of a Swiss bar engulfed in a deadly New Year's Day fire and recalled its ambassador to Switzerland, as the court's decision came under criticism in both countries.
Jacques and Jessica Moretti, the couple who ran the Swiss bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana which burst into flames during a New Year's Eve party, arrive for questioning at the Public Ministry of the Canton of Valais in Sion in southwestern Switzerland, January 9, 2026. Reuters/Umit Bektas
Italy formally protested on Saturday the release on bail of the owner of a Swiss bar engulfed in a deadly New Year's Day fire and recalled its ambassador to Switzerland, as the court's decision came under criticism in both countries.
Jacques Moretti and his wife Jessica, owners of Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, are under investigation for negligent homicide and other crimes linked to the blaze that killed 40 people and injured more than 100, many of them teenagers.
Jacques Moretti was detained on January 9 but released on bail on Friday.
RELEASE 'AN INSULT' TO VICTIMS' FAMILIES, PM MELONI SAYS
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni overnight called his release "an affront to the memory of the victims of the New Year's Eve tragedy and an insult to their families".
Six of those killed in the bar blaze were Italian as were 10 of the injured.
A government statement on Saturday said Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani instructed Italy's ambassador to immediately contact the chief prosecutor in Switzerland's Valais canton to convey Italy's "strong indignation" over Moretti's release.
It added that the court had taken the decision despite the seriousness of the alleged crime, the risk of flight and the possibility of evidence being compromised.
"The whole of Italy is clamouring for truth and justice, and is calling for respectful measures to be taken in the wake of this disaster, which take full account of the suffering and expectations of the families," the statement said.
Meloni and Tajani also ordered Ambassador Gian Lorenzo Cornado to return to Rome to determine what further action to take, it said.
A Swiss Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.
Moretti was released under a bail arrangement that included a 200,000 Swiss franc ($256,377) payment and an order to report daily to a police station.
Lawyers for the victims of the fire and their families said they were struggling to understand the court order, adding that their clients were concerned about evidence disappearing.
The Morettis have both expressed grief over the tragedy and said they would cooperate with prosecutors.
In a statement following Jacques Moretti's release, their lawyers said they would both "continue to comply with all requests from the authorities".
($1 = 0.7801 Swiss francs)
Reporting by Cristina Carlevaro
Ukrainian and Russian negotiators began a second day of U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi on Saturday after an overnight wave of Russian airstrikes that knocked out power for millions of people amid freezing winter temperatures.
Togo has arrested and expelled Burkina Faso's former president to his home country after officials there accused him of attempting a coup, two sources told Reuters on Tuesday.
Moderate Socialist Antonio Jose Seguro led the first round of Portugal's presidential election on Sunday, followed by the far-right leader Andre Ventura, with exit polls and first partial results showing the two are heading into a runoff next month.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.
