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India, Italy settle over fishermen killed by marines

June 15, 2021

The fishermen's families will receive $400,000 in compensation, each. But the Italian marines accused of killing Indian fishermen are not done with the courts yet.

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An Indian fishing boat at sea, not connected to this story.
The shooting deaths, which took place in 2012, soured India-Italy relationsImage: picture-alliance/AP Photo

India's Supreme Court on Tuesday dropped proceedings against two Italian marines who were accused of shooting and killing two Indian fishermen in 2012 after Italy paid 100 million rupees ($1.3 million/€1.1 million euros) in compensation.

In the ruling, the two-judge panel said Italy should resume its own proceedings against the two marines, Salvatore Girone and Massimiliano Latorre.

"The case with India is closed. A success of Italian diplomacy," European Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni said on Twitter.

Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio also hailed the settlement as a success.

"Thanks to those who worked with perseverance on the case, thanks to our tireless diplomatic corps, the final word has been said on this long affair," Di Maio said on Twitter.

The court ruled that 40 million rupees would be given to each of the victims' families, and the remaining 20 million would go to the owner of the boat the fishermen were using. The boat was destroyed in the incident.

Italian marines Salvatore Girone and Massimiliano Latorre
Salvatore Girone (l) and Massimiliano Latorre (r) were eventually releasedImage: picture-alliance/AP Photo/A. Medichini

Deaths off the Indian coast

Girone and Latorre were accused of shooting dead the unarmed fishermen off the coast of Kerala while protecting the Italian oil tanker Enrica Lexie. They were on an anti-piracy mission and believed the fishermen were pirates.

India called it a "double murder at sea" and arrested Girone and Latorre. They were both charged with homicide.

Italy had long believed that it should have jurisdiction in the case, as both Italian men were active duty personnel on an approved deployment. Latorre returned to Italy after suffering a stroke in 2014, and Girone came back to his home country in 2016.

Italy took the case to the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, which ruled last year that India did not have jurisdiction in any potential case, but also that Italy should pay damages.

Back in court in Italy

Girone and Latorre are expected to be questioned by prosecutors in Rome in the upcoming weeks. The investigation, which is part of the process that would set the charges, is expected to finish within the next few months.

Latorre's wife, Paola Moschetti, said her husband had been barred from making public comments on the case.

"Now it's time to ask why the military authorities want to maintain silence on what he knows and wants to recount," Moschetti told Italian news agency ANSA.

kbd/msh (AFP, AP, dpa)