Tele marines’ kin not too enthused

Thiruvananthapuram: There has been cautious optimism in Italy over the news of the Supreme Court ruling in the Enrica Lexie case. Some people there had hoped the SC would intervene and repatriate the Italian Marines – Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone – who were facing a trial in Kollam.
According to Fausto Biloslavo, an Italian war correspondent based in Rome, people close to the two marines – facing murder charge in the firing-to-death of two local fishermen earlier last year in the sea off Kollam, were both happy as well as unhappy. “They are happy because they have left Kerala, but unhappy because the case will go before a special court in New Delhi and not in Italy,” Fausto told DC over phone from Rome.
However, Italian prime minister Mario Monti came out with a statement from his official palace, Palazzo Chigi, in support of the marines. It said the executive was confident about the fact that India recognized the ‘exclusive jurisdiction’ on the state of the flag ‘on the ships operating in International waters.’
“The decision encourages further commitment already secured in recent months by the Italian Republic. For the Italian government, the goal is to return to Italy its two soldiers,” said the statement by Monti.