Italian marines Massimiliano Latorre (middle) and Salvatore Girone (right) appearing at the office of the Commissioner of Police in Kochi on Friday. The spotlight was back on the marines after Italy summoned the Indian ambassador and called for a Supreme Court decision on the matter before Christmas. The marines have been detained since February following a shootout at sea which led to the death of two fishermen. | Photo Credit: H_Vibhu
Italy has summoned India’s ambassador to insist that India’s Supreme Court issue a decision soon concerning two Italian marines detained since February for the deaths of two Indian fishermen mistaken for pirates.
Italy maintains the shooting occurred in international waters and that as a result, Rome should have jurisdiction.
India claims the ship was in Indian territorial waters. The Indian Supreme Court is to decide on Italy’s petition to try the sailors at home.
In a statement on Thursday, the Foreign Ministry said it was “profoundly bewildered” why the court hasn’t ruled even though arguments ended three months ago. It asked for a decision before Christmas.
The sailors were providing security on a cargo ship when they allegedly shot the fishermen. The dispute has strained diplomatic relations.
More Like This
Published on December 14, 2012
Comments
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of TheHindu Businessline and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.