The Italian defence minister on
Wednesday said two Italian marines held in India in the deaths
of two fishermen two years ago should not be judged in that
country.
"This government says emphatically that our two marines can
not be judged in India, because they are soldiers who were on a
mission on behalf of our country," Roberta Pinotti said near the
southern Italian coastal city of Brindisi, where she is visiting
the San Marco navy brigade headquarters.
"We will continue to look for mediation with the new Indian
government, and we will not even wait for one day to pass to go
to arbitration," added Pinotti.
"We forcefully call for the internationalization of the
affair which means the involvement of our allies, because
anti-pirate missions also regard other countries," Pinotti said.
"I never forget on any day that there are two San Marco
riflemen who in this moment are not with their companions in
arms, but in India, imprisoned for two years without charges,"
she said.
Pinotti’s statements come the day after she said Italy was
in talks with India’s new centre-right government led by
Narendra Modi which emerged victorious from India’s marathon
elections that ended in mid-May.
Pinotti said Tuesday that if the Indian government does not
take a favorable stance toward Italy’s position, Italy will
proceed immediately to arbitration.
Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone have been held in
India under mobility restrictions for over two years pending
trial after allegedly shooting dead fishermen Valentine (aka
Gelastine) and Ajesh Binki aboard their trawler during an
anti-piracy mission in February 2012.
Last month, the Italian government announced it was opening
a "new phase" in the saga, replacing its special envoy on the
case and sending its ambassador back to New Delhi to help steer
the case towards arbitration by an international organisation
such as the UN.
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