The International Tribunal of
Arbitration on Thursday ruled in Italy's favour in the case of
two Italian marines accused of killing two Indian fishermen off
the southern Indian coast in February 2012 - but Italy will have
to pay India compensation for the loss of life.
The court gave Italy jurisdiction in the case of Marina
Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone, who fired on the
fishermen after mistaking them for pirates while on duty off the
coast of Kerala on the merchant ship Enrica Lexie.
India was denied jurisdiction over the pair of fusiliers.
The men's immunity was recognised.
The tribunal's ruling was announced by the Italian foreign
ministry.
In ordering compensation to be paid, the court said "Italy
violated freedom of navigation and thus will have to compensate
India for the loss of human lives, the material damage to their
vessel and the moral damage suffered by the commander and other
members of the Indian trawler Saint Anthony".
The tribunal urged the two countries to come to an agreement on
the compensation to be paid.
The Italian foreign ministry said Italy would restart criminal
proceedings in the case.
The arbitration tribunal first sat on the case in The Hague in
November 2015.
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