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| India furious after Italy blocks return of marines for murder trial | India furious after Italy blocks return of marines for murder trial |
| (25 days later) | |
| Politicians have attacked the Indian government for allowing two Italian marines accused of killing a pair of fishermen last year to leave the country. | Politicians have attacked the Indian government for allowing two Italian marines accused of killing a pair of fishermen last year to leave the country. |
| The government allowed the marines to return to Italy in February to vote in national elections. On Monday Italy said it would not send the marines back to India to face trial as had been expected. | The government allowed the marines to return to Italy in February to vote in national elections. On Monday Italy said it would not send the marines back to India to face trial as had been expected. |
| Opposition lawmakers held up proceedings in both houses of India's parliament demanding the government explain what it plans to do to bring the marines back. | Opposition lawmakers held up proceedings in both houses of India's parliament demanding the government explain what it plans to do to bring the marines back. |
| India said it was considering what steps to take next in the international dispute. | India said it was considering what steps to take next in the international dispute. |
| The minister for external affairs, Salman Khurshid, said the government would respond appropriately to a letter from the Italian government saying the marines would not return to India. | The minister for external affairs, Salman Khurshid, said the government would respond appropriately to a letter from the Italian government saying the marines would not return to India. |
| "We are studying the implications of the position taken by Italy. We will take an informed decision after examining the communication from Italy," Khurshid said. | "We are studying the implications of the position taken by Italy. We will take an informed decision after examining the communication from Italy," Khurshid said. |
| But opposition political parties said the decision showed Italy did not take the Indian government seriously. | But opposition political parties said the decision showed Italy did not take the Indian government seriously. |
| "This is a betrayal by the Italian government," said Rajiv Pratap Rudy, spokesman of the main opposition Bharatiya Janata party. "It is a breach of trust between two sovereign nations and the act is completely unacceptable." | "This is a betrayal by the Italian government," said Rajiv Pratap Rudy, spokesman of the main opposition Bharatiya Janata party. "It is a breach of trust between two sovereign nations and the act is completely unacceptable." |
| Rudy said the government should make every effort to bring the marines back to face "trial under Indian laws and in Indian courts". | Rudy said the government should make every effort to bring the marines back to face "trial under Indian laws and in Indian courts". |
| The marines, Massimilian Latorre and Salvatore Girone, were part of a military security team aboard a cargo ship when they opened fire on a fishing boat in February last year that they said they mistook for a pirate craft, killing the two fishermen. The shooting took place off the coast of India's southern state of Kerala. | The marines, Massimilian Latorre and Salvatore Girone, were part of a military security team aboard a cargo ship when they opened fire on a fishing boat in February last year that they said they mistook for a pirate craft, killing the two fishermen. The shooting took place off the coast of India's southern state of Kerala. |
| Dora Valantine, the wife of one of the fishermen, said the decision to let the marines go home to vote appeared to be part of a plan to spare them from facing trial. | Dora Valantine, the wife of one of the fishermen, said the decision to let the marines go home to vote appeared to be part of a plan to spare them from facing trial. |
| "This is nothing but a conspiracy at the highest level," she said. "The Indian government should ensure that they bring back the two and make them stand trial in this country." | "This is nothing but a conspiracy at the highest level," she said. "The Indian government should ensure that they bring back the two and make them stand trial in this country." |
| Last year, Italy paid compensation of 10m rupees (£124,000) each to the families of the fishermen. | Last year, Italy paid compensation of 10m rupees (£124,000) each to the families of the fishermen. |
| The marines said they had put their faith in the Italian government to help them. | The marines said they had put their faith in the Italian government to help them. |
| "I knew that our government wasn't abandoning us. It wouldn't abandon us. They gave us four weeks from when we returned to Italy to vote and I felt that something would happen, something positive, I mean," Girone was quoted as saying by the Milan daily newspaper Corriere della Sera. | "I knew that our government wasn't abandoning us. It wouldn't abandon us. They gave us four weeks from when we returned to Italy to vote and I felt that something would happen, something positive, I mean," Girone was quoted as saying by the Milan daily newspaper Corriere della Sera. |
| But he said they were not celebrating their release. "'There isn't anything to celebrate. Our case is not over yet," he said. | But he said they were not celebrating their release. "'There isn't anything to celebrate. Our case is not over yet," he said. |
| The incident sparked a diplomatic dispute between the countries. Italy maintains the shooting occurred in international waters and that Rome should have jurisdiction. India says the ship was in Indian territorial waters. | The incident sparked a diplomatic dispute between the countries. Italy maintains the shooting occurred in international waters and that Rome should have jurisdiction. India says the ship was in Indian territorial waters. |
| The Indian supreme court ruled this year that the men should be tried by a special court to be set up by the central government in consultation with the chief justice. The decision removed the case from the jurisdiction of the southern state of Kerala. | The Indian supreme court ruled this year that the men should be tried by a special court to be set up by the central government in consultation with the chief justice. The decision removed the case from the jurisdiction of the southern state of Kerala. |
| The Indian government had earlier allowed the marines to go home over the Christmas holidays, after which they returned to India. | The Indian government had earlier allowed the marines to go home over the Christmas holidays, after which they returned to India. |
| In February, India's supreme court allowed them to return home to vote. | In February, India's supreme court allowed them to return home to vote. |
| Italy said India's decision to try the marines would violate their rights, in particular the principle of immunity for foreign state actors, and they would not go back. | Italy said India's decision to try the marines would violate their rights, in particular the principle of immunity for foreign state actors, and they would not go back. |
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