The Swiss public prosecutor’s office in Sion has rejected a request by the Italian government to join the criminal investigation into the New Year’s Eve nightclub fire in Crans-Montana as a civil party, according to a dossier deposited on July 23, 2026. The tragedy at the Constellation discobar claimed the lives of 41 people, including six Italian nationals, and left 115 others injured, among them 14 Italians.
Legal Grounds for the Rejected Civil Party Status
According to the Sion public prosecutors, the Italian state cannot be recognized as a damaged party simply for defending public interests or managing national resources. The prosecutors stated in the dossier that a state body acting under public authority defends collective interests and cannot simultaneously be directly affected in individual personal rights in the manner of a private party. Consequently, the protection of those public interests remains solely the responsibility of the public ministry, as reported by the investigative file.
The Italian government, acting through Geneva-based lawyer Romain Jordan, filed a detailed second-degree appeal against the decision. The appeal argues that the refusal contradicts the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights. Rome maintains that the disaster caused a direct financial toll on the state, specifically through the mobilization of the national Civil Protection service to provide medical, psychological, and logistical assistance to affected citizens, amounting to at least 300,000 euros in public expenditures.
Diplomatic Tensions and Ongoing Investigation
The procedural rebuff threatens to further strain diplomatic relations between Italy and Switzerland. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s administration previously prompted friction in late January 2026, when Rome recalled Italian Ambassador to Bern Gian Lorenzo Cornado following the temporary release from custody of Jacques Moretti, one of the nightclub’s co-owners.
The formal request for civil party status, promoted by the State Attorney General’s Office, was initially filed on April 29, 2026. The broader criminal inquiry currently targets 15 individuals, including club owners Jacques and Jessica Moretti alongside Crans-Montana Mayor Nicolas Féraud. Investigators are proceeding with hypotheses of manslaughter, aggravated bodily harm, and arson.
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