India continues to hold Italian marines over fisherman shooting

NEW DELHI – Two Italian marines were sent back to an Indian jail Monday for another two weeks over the fatal shooting of two fishermen off India's southern coast.

Despite Italy's strong objections over India's detaining the marines, Chief Judicial Magistrate A.K. Gopakumar extended the marines' custody by 14 more days in the southern state of Kerala.

The marines, who were providing anti-piracy security aboard a cargo ship, are accused of shooting the fishermen Feb. 15 after mistaking them for pirates off India's southwest coast.

India says the fact that the shooting happened on an Indian boat gave it jurisdiction.

Italy says the men should be tried in Italy under international maritime rules and warns that India's approach sets a dangerous precedent putting Indian military officers on anti-piracy missions could face similar risk of prosecution in foreign jurisdictions.

The magistrate said he would consider the marines' plea for a television on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the ship they were working on, the Enrica Lexie, has been barred from leaving the coast.

Latore Massimiliano and Salvatore Girone were first detained Feb. 19 and have been held since March 5 in a special cell at the Central Prison in Thiruvanantapuram, separate from the general prison population.

Italy wanted them kept in a guest house, according to privileges granted in Italy to military personnel. But Kerala's Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said the Italians would be shown no leniency.

Several countries, including India, allow ship owners to use armed security guards to protect against pirate attacks, now a major threat to merchant ships in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea.

Italy says having military personnel aboard the cargo ship is governed by an Italian law conforming to U.N. anti-piracy resolutions, and that such personnel are part of the Italian state and therefore immune to the jurisdiction of foreign states.

A high-level Italian diplomatic mission was unable last month to persuade the Indians to relinquish custody. Italy has since engaged the European Union to lobby its case with New Delhi.