Italian marine granted extended medical leave by Indian court in 2012 shooting case
Long-running case causing diplomatic discord between India and Italy takes another turn as panel of judges extends leave to serviceman accused of murdering Indian fisherman
India’s top court on Wednesday granted an Italian marine’s request for extended medical leave abroad, before he and a fellow serviceman face expected charges over the 2012 shooting of two Indian fishermen.
The case has caused a diplomatic uproar between India and Italy because the two marines have been held in India for almost three years without formal charges being filed.
The two men, Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone, are expected to be charged with killing two fishermen while assigned to anti-piracy duty aboard an Italian cargo ship off India’s southwestern coast.
Latorre was allowed to travel to his home country for medical treatment in September after suffering a stroke in India. This month, he asked the Indian Supreme Court to extend his leave in Italy after undergoing heart surgery on January 5.
A three-judge bench approved the three-month extension on Wednesday. The court had denied a similar petition by Latorre last month before the heart surgery.
The Italians have insisted the shooting occurred in international waters, and that the fishermen were mistaken for pirates. They have argued unsuccessfully that the case should be heard in an Italian court.