Swiss investigation shows synagogue fire was arson

The fire that heavily damaged Geneva’s largest synagogue was caused by arson, an investigation has concluded, the presiding magistrate said today.

“The cause of the fire was criminal,” said a statement by magistrate Michel Graber, who has been overseeing the investigation into the May 24 fire. But he said there had been no indication that it was set by extremists.

The May 24 blaze raised fears among Geneva’s Jewish community that the fire might have been an anti-Semitic attack.

The investigation has excluded the possibility that the fire was the result of an accident or technical problem, Graber said.

He said a DNA sample had been taken from a cigarette butt found in the area where the fire started, but that it was possible it may prove inconclusive because of damage from the heat of the fire and the water used to extinguish the blaze.

A number of witnesses have been interviewed by police, but so far have failed to point to a suspect, Graber said.

The fire caused serious damage to the interior of the Hekhal Haness Synagogue.