Fire disaster Switzerland and Italy strengthen cooperation after fire in Crans
The public prosecutor's offices in Sion and Rome will work together more closely following the fire disaster in Crans-Montana at the beginning of the year. This was decided on Thursday following a meeting in Bern.
19.02.2026, 16:34
SDA
In concrete terms, this means that foreign investigators will now be allowed to be present at regular intervals during mutual legal assistance proceedings in the other country, as detailed in a press release. This already applies to the evaluation of evidence collected to date.
The increased cooperation means, for example, better access to files, said Ingrid Ryser, Head of Media at the Federal Office of Justice (FOJ). Only time will tell whether there will be a joint investigation team.
Whether the Italian authorities are satisfied with this step was initially left open. "That's for Italy to decide," Ryser replied when asked whether the Italian ambassador would now be ordered back to Bern following his confiscation.
