Marines were willing to return to India: Italian minister

Asserting he would “not abandon the ship or marines”, an emotional Italian Defence Minister Giampaolo Paola ruled out his resignation and maintained the marines returned to India to face trial willingly.

Italian marines Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone were sent back to India on March 22 to be tried for allegedly killing two Indian fishermen, in a U-turn after Rome had said they would not return after being allowed to come home to vote. The decision to hand them back, after a diplomatic tussle in which the Italian ambassador was blocked from leaving India, split the government.

Foreign Minister Guilio Terzi had resigned earlier this week, saying the marines should not be sent back and he had not been heeded  to on the matter. Di Paola had criticised Terzi for quitting.

The Italian defence minister was speaking at a ceremony in Naples, honouring the 90th anniversary of the his country’s air force when his voice cracked and his eyes watered.

He denied reports that the marines had been unwilling to return to India for trial.

“It’s not true that Salvatore and Massimiliano took five hours to agree with this decision. They were not just obeying orders but also their sense of duty and responsibility. They honoured their word”, Paola was quoted as saying by Italian news agency, ANSA.  

“They respected their uniform in spite of their pain, pushing back their own emotions and those of their families,” he added.

The Monti government returned Latorre and Girone after getting assurances they would not face the death penalty for allegedly shooting Indian fishermen Jelestine Valentine and Ajesh Binki while guarding the oil tanker Enrica Lexie.