- Title: INDIA: Top court lifts ban on Italian envoy leaving country
- Date: 2nd April 2013
- Summary: NEW DELHI, INDIA (APRIL 2, 2013) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI - NO ACCESS BBC) EXTERIOR OF THE ITALIAN EMBASSY BOARD READING 'EMBASSY OF ITALY' INSIGNIA OF THE ITALIAN EMBASSY (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW DELHI LOCAL, KASTURI, SAYING: "I think India has done the right thing by taking a very tough stance on the issue and Italy's decision to send back the two marines, for trial, to India is a welcome decision and all we can hope for is now for the court to deliver a quick verdict on the issue." ITALIAN AND EU FLAGS (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW DELHI LOCAL, TUSHAR, SAYING: "The Italian government had first said that they would send back the marines and then later when the marines went there, they went back on their word. I don't think this is a manner in which a mature and developed democracy works and this is not the manner in which these two countries, India and Italy are behaving, I don't think this is right."
- Embargoed: 17th April 2013 22:11
- Keywords:
- Location: India
- Country: India
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVAA79UE87QGM24M3YGR19YUDMO3
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Story Text: India's Supreme Court on Tuesday (April 2) lifted a three-week order banning Italy's ambassador Daniele Mancini from leaving the country after Italy sent two marines back to India to face trial over the deaths of two Indian fishermen.
The court had earlier banned Mancini from leaving after Italy announced it would not send the accused marines back after a home visit. The Italian government since changed its mind and sent the two back on March 22.
One New Delhi resident, Katsuri, said she welcomed India's hardline stance on the matter.
"I think India has done the right thing by taking a very tough stance on the issue and Italy's decision to send back the two marines, for trial, to India is a welcome decision and all we can hope for is now for the court to deliver a quick verdict on the issue," she said.
Since the incident, India and Italy have been embroiled in an escalating row at a time when Rome is trying to secure a major deal to sell helicopters to the Indian government.
The marines were allowed home for Christmas, and then again to vote in the Italian elections in February, on condition they returned to India.
On March 11, the outgoing technocrat government of Mario Monti said it would not send the marines back because Indian courts did not have jurisdiction over the incident, which Rome said occurred in international waters.
Italy reversed its position last week after India prevented the Italian ambassador from leaving the country.
Another New Delhi local, Tushar, said he disapproved the Italian government's initial refusal to send back the marines.
"The Italian government had first said that they would send back the marines and then later when the marines went there, they went back on their word. I don't think this is a manner in which a mature and developed democracy works and this is not the manner in which these two countries, India and Italy are behaving, I don't think this is right," he said.
The accused, Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone, are charged with murder for shooting the two fishermen off the coast of the southern state of Kerala last year while serving as security guards on a cargo ship.
They say they fired warning shots at a fishing boat believing it to be a pirate vessel.
The case has caused outrage in Italy, which says the incident happened in international waters and the men should not be tried in India. Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi resigned over the decision to return the pair to India.
The marines are due to be tried in a special federal court in New Delhi, but the court has yet to be established.
The two men themselves wrote a letter to their country's lawmakers saying their return to India was a tragedy.
The marines' anti-piracy duty was conducted under the umbrella of a U.N. resolution to safeguard shipping from repeated pirate attacks. - Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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