Perpetrator arrested Arson attack on Zurich synagogue foiled

A man poured petrol at the entrance to the synagogue in Zurich Wiedikon at 8pm on Saturday evening. However, the attack was prevented.

A man poured petrol at the entrance to the synagogue in Zurich-Wiedikon at 8pm on Saturday evening. Security guards surprised him and prevented a possible arson attack.

The man immediately fled on foot when he was approached by the building's own security service, a spokeswoman for the Zurich city police confirmed to the Keystone-SDA news agency.

The alerted Zurich city police launched a manhunt for the perpetrator. The Forensic Institute secured evidence at the scene of the crime. The Zurich cantonal police later took over the case.

Allegedly no extremist motive

They arrested the 32-year-old Swiss man early this morning. Based on initial investigations, the "apparently mentally disturbed" perpetrator acted alone and there was no extremist motive in the foreground, the city police wrote in a statement.

The case was made public by a Zurich local councillor on Platform X late on Saturday evening: "An arson attack was attempted at our synagogue on Erikastrasse in Zurich this evening."

SDA