JERUSALEM: Amidst a diplomatic row with India, Italy has said it is on solid legal ground in seeking international arbitration in the case of the Italian marines charged with killing two Indian fishermen.
“We have juridically solid reasons to proceed in the direction of international arbitration,” Italian foreign minister Giulio Terzi told reporters as he arrived at an international conference being hosted by an Israeli think-tank in the city of Herzliya.
“The Indian government is amply apprised of all it needs to know about our reasons, as do many of our partners,” he was quoted as saying by media reports.
Already-strained relations between Rome and New Delhi notched up on Monday when the Italian government announced that marines Salvatore Latorre and Massimiliano Girone would remain in Italy and not return to India to face murder charges after being allowed to come home to vote in February’s general election by the Supreme Court.
The Apex Court had allowed them to go to Italy to cast their vote in the elections there after Italian ambassador to India Daniele Mancini had given an assurance to send them back.
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh had yesterday noted that the country is agitated over Italy’s action which is “unacceptable” and said the government will pursue diplomatic channels to bring the two marines back.
Taking a tough stand, the prime minister also accused Italy of violating “every rule of diplomatic discourse” and asked it to send back the two marines undergoing trial for killing Indian fishermen, failing which there will be consequences on bilateral ties.
SC restrains Italian ambassador from leaving India
The Supreme Court on Thursday restrained Italian ambassador Daniele Mancini from leaving the country till March 18 without its permission.
The apex court bench, headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir, while restraining the Italian ambassador from leaving the country, issued notice to the Italian government, its ambassador, and the two marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen Feb 15, 2012.
The court said the notices are returnable by March 18.
The Italian ambassador was issued notice on going back on his undertaking to the court assuring the return of the two marines after their four weeks’ stay in Italy.
The court issued the notice after Attorney General G.E. Vahanvati informed the court about the sequence of events starting from the Italian government’s statement that the two marines will not return to India to face trial after the expiry of four weeks for which they were allowed to visit their country. (IANS)