The decision by the Italian Government to return the marines charged over the deaths of two Indian fishermen is the right one, and indeed the only one that can bring about a resolution to what was becoming a serious stand-off between the two governments.
As I wrote in my blog of March 19: “The best, and perhaps the only way out of this impasse, would be for Italy to relent and return the two marines, perhaps after a behind-the-scenes deal that they would be charged with a lesser offence, such as negligently causing death, and let off with a light sentence. This would leave the way clear for an agreement on compensation to be paid to the families of the fishermen”.
So far only the return of the marines has followed this course, but it can probably be taken that the “ample assurances” on the treatment of the marines and the “defence of their fundamental rights”, contains an assurance that they will not face the most serious murder charge.
Before the marines had been allowed to return to Italy to vote in that country’s general election, they had been held in jail. Now they will live at the Italian Embassy in New Delhi and be required to report to police just once a week. I would expect the sentences eventually handed down by the court will also be light enough to be acceptable to Rome.
After which, a final compensation pay-out to the families of the two fishermen can speedily follow.
The diplomatic tensions between the two countries have already eased, with the new Indian Ambassador to Rome expected to leave for his posting over the weekend, while restrictions on the movements of the Italian envoy to New Delhi, Daniele Mancini, have been lifted.
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