Several members of parliament on Wednesday voiced support for a reported government plan to seek international arbitration in its dispute with New Delhi over two Italian marines facing trial for murder in India.
"Italian daily Corriere della Sera claims today that the government is finally about to seek international arbitration in the case of our marines unjustly detained in India for over three years," said a statement signed by Maurizio Gasparri and Elio Vito.
"International arbitration is undoubtedly the right route to go down," added the lawmakers, who are MPs for ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi's conservative Forza Italia party.
Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone were detained in India in 2012 accused of killing two Indian fishermen during an anti-piracy mission. The case sparked a major diplomatic row and delays to the start of the marines' trial have caused continuing friction between Rome and New Delhi.
The Corriere della Sera newspaper article cites informed sources as saying the Italian government has already decided to seek international arbitration by mid-May for Latorre and Girone.
By that date Rome will withdraw the proposal it made last year to New Delhi for a negotiated diplomatic solution to the case after the Indian government failed to respond, the paper said.
Government officials have not denied the report but have said it is currently just a "hypothesis" under consideration.
The international arbitrators will be asked to decide if the marines should be tried in India, Italy or another country, according to Corriere della Sera.
Italy says the incident occurred in international waters and claims the marines should be immune from prosecution in India and allowed to return to Italy because they are servicemen.
Latorre is on leave Italy until 15 July for medical treatment after suffering a stroke last summer and heart surgery in January. Girone is currently detained at the Italian embassy in New Delhi, awaiting trial.
India's Supreme Court has postponed until July a hearing in the case that will consider an appeal for the marines to be tried under the country's anti-terrorism act which carries an automatic death penalty for murder.
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