The European Parliament
in Strasbourg on Thursday approved a resolution on the case of
two Italian marines accused in India of killing two Indian
fishermen during an anti-piracy mission in 2012.
The motion called for, among other things, the pair to be
allowed to return to Italy and for a change of jurisdiction.
Before the vote, Federica Mogherini, the European Union's
high representative for foreign affairs, said that the drawn-out
case risks hitting EU-Indian relations.
"We share values and strategic interests with India and we
want to cooperate in the world arena," former Italian foreign
minister Mogherini told the EP.
"But it's good for everyone to be fully aware of how much
of an impact the unresolved dispute of the two Italian Navy
officers can have on relations between the EU and India. It is
putting them to the test".
The case has severely strained relations between Italy and
New Delhi for three years.
Marines Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone are
accused of killing fishermen Valentine (aka Gelastine) and Ajesh
Binki after allegedly mistaking them for pirates and opening
fire on their fishing trawler while guarding the privately owned
Italian-flagged oil-tanker MT Enrica Lexie off the coast of
Kerala on February 15, 2012.
Girone had been barred from leaving India, while the
Indian Supreme Court on Wednesday extended by three months a
permit for Latorre to stay in Italy for health reasons.
Rome requested an extension after Latorre had heart
surgery last week.
India granted Latorre four months of leave last year after
he suffered a stroke.
Rome has protested the many delays in the case. Formal
charges have not yet been presented. Italy successfully fought
to ensure New Delhi took the death penalty off the table and
dropped the application of a severe anti-terrorism, anti-piracy
law, which it said would have equated Italy with a terrorist
state.
Rome argues the case is not in India's jurisdiction as the
incident took place outside the country's territorial waters.
It also says the marines should be exempt from prosecution
in India, because they are servicemen who were working on an
anti-piracy mission, and allowed to return home.
The EU, meanwhile, has said the dispute endangers
international anti-piracy efforts.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA