Reparation Law – News » Italian marines return to India to face trial

Italian marines return to India to face trial

Salvatore Girone, left, and Massimiliano Latorre will return to India immediately. Photograph: Guido Montani/EPA

Two Italian marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen have returned to Delhi for trial, Indian officials have said, as diplomatic tensions ease. The pair landed in an Italian military plane, accompanied by Deputy Foreign Minister Staffan de Mistura. The Italian government said it had received assurances about the men’s treatment and their human rights.

The move overturns a decision on 11 March by the Italian foreign ministry that the marines would not go back because the decision to try them in India violated their rights. Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone who had been on bail awaiting trial, were allowed to fly back to Italy for the February 2013 general election on condition that they returned to stand trial by 22 March.

Italian ambassador Daniele Mancini gave his personal assurance that they would return within four weeks. But Rome then decided that they would not fly back to Delhi, arguing that India was violating international law by putting them on trial, as the shooting had taken place in international waters. Rome proposed putting them on trial in Italy.

Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi said, the order of the Supreme Court which forbids the Italian Ambassador to leave the Country represents an evident violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which codifies universally recognized principles. We also formally continue to uphold this principle, which is crucial for relations among States, and is also a fundamental principle of both customary and conventional law, as the International Court of Justice has constantly affirmed.

Italy continues to believe that the case of the two Marines should be resolved in accordance with International law.

Reparations News, Delhi.

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