Italy has lodged a formal protest with Switzerland and recalled its ambassador after a Swiss court released on bail the owner of a nightclub where a devastating New Year’s Day fire killed 40

people, triggering outrage on both sides of the border.

The suspect, Jacques Moretti, co-owner of the Le Constellation bar in the Alpine resort of Crans-Montana, was detained earlier this month and is under investigation along with his wife, Jessica, for negligent homicide and other offences linked to the blaze. More than 100 people were injured in the fire, many of them teenagers attending New Year celebrations.

Moretti was arrested on January 9 but was freed on bail on Friday, a decision that drew sharp criticism from Italian leaders and victims’ families.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the ruling in unusually strong terms, calling it “an affront to the memory of the victims and an insult to their families.” Six of those who died were Italian nationals, while 10 Italians were among the injured.

In a statement released on Saturday, the Italian government said Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani had instructed Italy’s ambassador to Switzerland to immediately contact Beatrice Pilloud, the chief prosecutor in the canton of Valais, to express Italy’s “strong indignation” over the court’s decision.

The statement argued that the release was ordered despite the seriousness of the alleged crimes, the risk that the suspect could flee, and concerns that evidence might be compromised. “The whole of Italy is clamouring for truth and justice,” the government said, urging authorities to take measures that reflect “the suffering and expectations of the families affected by this tragedy.”

As part of its response, Rome also ordered Ambassador Gian Lorenzo Cornado to return temporarily to Italy for consultations to assess further diplomatic steps.

Switzerland’s Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said he had spoken with Tajani and that both countries had reaffirmed their mutual support in the aftermath of the disaster. A spokesperson for the Swiss Foreign Ministry said Bern had not been formally notified of the ambassador’s recall but noted that such moves fall within normal diplomatic practice and are not necessarily permanent.

Chief prosecutor Pilloud confirmed to Swiss news agency Keystone-SDA that she had been contacted by the Italian ambassador. She added, however, that the decision to release Moretti was made by an independent court, not her office.

The case has intensified public scrutiny in both Italy and Switzerland as investigators continue to examine whether safety violations or negligence contributed to one of the deadliest nightclub fires in recent European history. Photo by Italian Government, Wikimedia commons.