India lets Latorre go home for 4 months

(ANSA) - Rome, September 12 - Premier Matteo Renzi on Friday welcomed a decision by India's Supreme Court allowing Italian marine Massimiliano Latorre to return to Italy for medical treatment after suffering a stroke-like attack two weeks ago. "Collaboration with Indian justice and esteem for Premier Modi and his government," Renzi tweeted.
    "We will work together on many fronts".
    Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini echoed the premier's sentiment, while adding that Italy stands firm in calling for a "definitive solution" to the case of Latorre and fellow marine Salvatore Girone. India accuses them of killing two Indian fisherman during an anti-piracy mission in February 2012, but has held them without charge for over two years. "The Italian government's will and determination to find a definitive solution to this dispute remains firm," Mogherini said.
    Rome said it is poised to seek international arbitration in the case, which began after Latorre and Girone allegedly killed 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.
    Rome has protested the many delays in the case, which has caused major diplomatic friction between the countries. It successfully fought to ensure New Delhi took the death penalty off the table and dropped the application of a severe anti-terrorism and anti-piracy law, which it said would have equated Italy with a terrorist state. Rome argues the case is not under India's jurisdiction as the incident took place outside the country's territorial waters. It also argues the marines should be exempt from prosecution in India, because the alleged incident involved servicemen acting in the line of duty. Separately, the owner of the Indian boat carrying the two fishermen who were killed had a last-minute rethink about asking the New Delhi supreme court to order an Indian medical test for Latorre. The boat owner, Freddy John Bosco, was set to file the appeal ahead of the Friday supreme court session that OK'd Latorre's return. He changed his mind at the last minute, his lawyers told ANSA. Italy is sending a plane to collect Latorre, whose passport has reportedly already been stamped with an exit visa by Indian authorities.