Italy keeps its Marines

Duo was allowed to go home to vote; now they have voted not to return

Rome: Two Italian marines being tried for the murder of two fishermen in India will not return to the country as New Delhi does not have jurisdiction over the case, the Italian foreign ministry announced on Monday. “Italy has always argued that Indian authorities have violated their obligations under international law... especially the principle of immunity from trial by the organs of a foreign state and the United Nation Convention on the Law of the Sea,” the foreign ministry said in a statement. The decision not to send Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone, who had been allowed to head home to vote and meet their families, back to India was taken by Italy’s defence and justice ministries in consultation with the prime minister’s office, it said. Italy “is ready to reach an agreement to resolve the controversy including through international arbitration or a judicial resolution,” it said. The statement said Italy’s ambassador in New Delhi has informed the Indian government of its decision. The two marines have been at the centre of a year-long international row for allegedly shooting dead two Indian fishermen after mistaking them for pirates off Kerala in February 2012 while guarding an oil tanker. Italy claims the incident occurred in international waters and has been trying to get Latorre and Girone tried in Italian courts, while India contends the shooting occurred in its own territory. India’s Supreme Court last month allowed Latorre and Girone to return home to vote in the February 24-25 national elections since Italy does not allow postal ballots for non-expatriates. It had earlier allowed them to go home for Christmas. Reacting to the development in Delhi, source in the ministry of external affairs said, “We received a communication from Italy late on Monday. We will examine it carefully.” He, however, did not say what the communication said.                                                                                                                      Source::::: DNA, 12-03-2013, p.01.