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, saying that holding them in India
without charges was a "grave violation of human rights".
The resolution also called for a fast solution and a change
of jurisdiction, saying it should be put in the hands of Italian
justice or go to international arbitration, while expressing
profound sadness at the fishermen's deaths.
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.
"The European Union intends honour its commitment to the
full, concrete protection of the fundamental rights of its
citizens, of any European citizens detained in any part of the
world, promoting the peaceful resolution of international
disputes and the respect of human rights and international law,"
said Mogherini.
The case has generated strong feelings in India.
But the Indian government recently said it was considering
an Italian proposal for consensual solution to the dispute and
Indian English-language newspaper The Economic Times said in an
editorial on Thursday that it might be best to let the marines
return home.
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