A marine who India wants to try for the killing of two fishermen, Massimiliano Latorre may stay in his homeland until the conclusion of international arbitration over the case, the Italian government said on Wednesday.
Earlier on Wednesday, India's Supreme Court ruled Latorre could stay in Italy until April 30. The top court had allowed the marine to return home for medical treatment after he suffered a stroke in August 2014. His previous permit was due to expire on Friday.
"The government considers that Indian Supreme Court may take no decision concerning rifleman Latorre," Italy's foreign ministry said in a statement.
"Furthermore, he may remain in Italy during the entire process of international arbitration initiated by the Italian government on 26 June 2015."
The shooting dead in February 2012 of two unarmed fisherman by Latorre and fellow marine Salvatore Girone off the southern state of Kerala sparked a diplomatic incident and the case has strained relations between the two countries.
India wants to try Latorre and Girone for murder, while Italy argues it does not have jurisdiction in the case as the incident took place in international waters as they guarded an Italian oil tanker during an anti-piracy mission.
"The marines have not done anything wrong," said the head of the Italian Senate's defence commission Nicola Latorre, who said on Tuesday that Latorre would not be going back to India when his permit of stay expired.
A long series of delays prompted Italy to take the case to international arbitration. In August, the Hamburg-based International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea ruled India had no jurisdiction in the case and referred it to the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
Meanwhile, Girone has not been allowed to leave India and is staying at the Italian embassy in New Delhi, although Italy is also working to bring him home for the duration of the international arbitration, Latorre said.
In April 2012, Italy paid 190,000 dollars compensation to each of the fishermen's families, who in return dropped their cases against the marines.
