Italy sends marines to India to face trial over killings
Friday 22 March 2013
Printable
EmailItaly's healed a diplomatic rift with India after agreeing today to send two marines back to the country to face trial over the killing of two fishermen.
The fate of the marines had badly clouded relations between the two countries, with an angry Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding the men be returned to India for trial as promised.
Italy backed down today, agreeing to send them back on condition they would not get the death penalty if convicted, said Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid.
India had assured Italy that this was not a capital case, he said.
He told Italy the marines would not be arrested if they returned and continue living in the Italian embassy.
The marines were part of a military security team on a cargo ship when they fired at a fishing boat in February 2012, killing two fishermen.
The marines said they mistook the boat for a pirate craft.
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