Italy claims ‘solid legal ground’ for not returning killer marines

Italy, amid a serious diplomatic row with India over the return of two of its naval guards under trial for the killing of two fishermen off the south Indian coast, said today it is on solid legal ground in seeking international arbitration in the case.

"We have juridically solid reasons to proceed in the direction of international arbitration," Italian foreign minister Giulio Terzi told reporters as he arrived at an international conference being hosted by an Israeli think-tank in the city of Herzliya.

"The Indian government is amply apprised of all it needs to know about our reasons, as do many of our partners," he was quoted as saying by media reports.

Already-strained relations between Rome and New Delhi worsened on Monday when the Italian government announced that marines Salvatore Latorre and Massimiliano Girone would remain in Italy and not return to India to face murder charges after they were allowed to go home by the Supreme Court to vote in February's Italian general election.

The apex court gave the permission after Italian Ambassador to India Daniele Mancini gave it an assurance that they would be sent back.

A furious Indian government has now detained the ambassador himself and disallowed him to go back to Italy.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has accused Italy of violating "every rule of diplomatic discourse" and asked it to send back the two marines undergoing trial for killing Indian fishermen, failing which there will be consequences on bilateral ties.