Italian marines happy to go back to work
Thank institutions for supporting them in row with India
11 March, 20:13
(ANSA) - Rome, March 11 - Two Italian marines charged in
India with killing two local fishermen in international waters
said on Monday they were happy to remain in Italy and go back to
work.
The Italian government announced earlier Monday that
Salvatore Latorre and Massimiliano Girone would not return to
India after being allowed to come home to vote in February's
general election."Now we are finally happy," Latorre told ANSA.
Latorre and Girone also said they were "happy to go back to work".
"I thank the president of the republic, all institutions, the government and the Italian people who have always supported us with a great number of postcards that never made us feel alone," Latorre told ANSA. "I also thank all those who have supported us through social networks".
Last month, India's Supreme Court granted a request from the two marines to return to Italy for four weeks so they could vote in general elections. Latorre and Girone were also allowed to return home for the Christmas holidays and went back to India after their leave ended. They had pledged to do so in this case as well but the foreign ministry announced that the two would not be returning to India on March 23 as scheduled. The government said in a statement Monday that "the conduct of Indian authorities violated international rights" by detaining them since last February.
The two marines are charged with shooting and killing on February 15 last year Indian fishermen Jelestine Valentine and Ajesh Binki from oil tanker Enrica Lexie. The marines claim they only fired warning shots in the air thinking they were pirates.
The Italian government has tried for a year to move the trial to Italian courts as the incident occurred on an Italian ship in international waters.
On Monday the foreign ministry announced it was open to allow an international arbitrator examine the case.
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