re: Italy Won't Send Accused Marines Back to India
Heres some of the Italians version of what happend.
Sounds a little weird.
In the court affidavit filed by the two marines urging the Kerala High Court to quash the FIR (First Information Report) against them, the document states:
"The master of the vessel increased the speed of the ship to 14 knots (about 28 km/per hour) and reduced the speed to 13 knots once the piracy attack was averted. The master also activated the Ship Security Alert System (SSAS) which sent out signals to the Italian Maritime Rescue and Coordination Centre (MRCC). The master also reported the incident on the mercury chart which links together and transfers information to the community including several navies across the world fighting piracy, including to the Indian Navy headquarters. The 'Military Report' was also done. A report was sent to MSCHOA at UK. Since the attempted attack was averted, the vessel continued on its scheduled course of journey."[7]
However, no documentary evidence to support the statement was submitted along with the affidavit to the Kerala High Court and therefore resulted in Justice P.S. Gopinathan rejecting the withdrawal of the FIR by observing:
"It is pertinent to note that no record was produced to show that the marines, before shooting down the fishermen, had even intimated any piracy threat to the Captain of the ship or that the Captain had recorded the same. Also there is no document in support of the plea that the Master had activated the Ship Alert Security System or that any signal was sent to the MRCC, Mercury chart or to any of the Navies across the world."[4]
Speaking to an Indian television channel on 18 May, Staffan de Mistura, the Italian Deputy Foreign Minister, said : "They (Italian naval marines) had tried to send some signals. They shot into the water and fired warning shots, some of which went in the wrong direction". He described the death of the two fishermen caused by the shooting as an "accidental killing" and an "unfortunate incident which everyone regrets. Our marines never wanted this to happen, but unfortunately it took place".[8][9][10]
2012 Italian shooting in the Arabian Sea - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia