In a new twist to the story regarding the Italian marines that had killed two Indian fishermen, the government of India says that Ambassador Daniele Mancini will not be allowed to leave the country. Mancini had assured the Supreme Court of India that the Italian marines in question would return to India to face their murder charges.
Following the written assurances by Mancini, India allowed the marines Salvatore Girone and Massimiliano Latorre to return to their country for Easter. Since then, they have not returned to India and are rumored to be returning to work soon. The Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that there would be consequences if they were not sent back.
Supreme Court rulings are upheld by government, according to a spokesperson from the Foreign Ministry. However it was not clear as to whether the Vienna Convention would be broken. This convention is used as a guideline for diplomatic relations.
According to Italy, India does not have the appropriate powers of jurisdiction over the case. Italy went on to say that India had ignored offers of diplomatic negotiations as well. The marines had shot the Indian fishermen off the coast of Kochi in February 2012, in what they claim to be international waters, after mistaking them for pirates.
