Italy warns India about ship firing detentions

Italy warned India on Wednesday that it was creating a “dangerous” precedent by detaining two Italian marines who were on an anti-piracy mission when they allegedly killed two Indian fishermen at sea. Premier Mario Monti relayed the warning during a telephone call with his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh as the diplomatic standoff reached the highest levels of government as well as the halls of the European Union. According to a statement from Monti’s office, Singh agreed to transfer the marines from prison to somewhere “adequate to their status.” The marines, who were providing anti-piracy security aboard a cargo ship, are accused of shooting the fishermen Feb. 15 after mistaking them for pirates off India’s southwest coast. A court in the southern state of Kerala on Monday ordered them jailed for another two weeks while officials investigate. New Delhi says the case should be tried in India because the killings occurred on an Indian boat. Rome says the shooting took place in international waters and the case should be handled in Italy. Italy says the presence of military personnel aboard the cargo ship is governed by an Italian law conforming to UN anti-piracy resolutions, and that such personnel are part of the Italian state and therefore immune to the jurisdiction of foreign states. Italy has already sent a high-level delegation to New Delhi to try to negotiate the transfer of the marines, and the foreign minister traveled there last week. It has now enlisted the European Union, which has begun making contacts “aimed at finding a satisfactory solution as soon as possible,” according to Maja Kocijancic, a spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton. During the phone call Wednesday, Monti told Singh that any Indian position “not fully in line with international law risks creating a dangerous precedent concerning international peace and anti-piracy missions,” the statement from Monti’s office said. The statement noted that Indian military officers taking part in such missions would similarly be at risk in other jurisdictions if India were to press the case against the Italians. Singh, the statement said, assured Monti he would consider Italy’s requests that the marines be treated appropriately with “maximum attention.”