Italy objects to Indian piracy law in marine case

NEW DELHI (AP) — Italy on Monday strongly objected to India's decision to use a severe anti-piracy law to prosecute two Italian marines who have been held since 2012 in the deaths of two Indian fishermen.

Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Staffan de Mistura said in New Delhi that using such a law against military officials from a friendly nation is "unacceptable." He said Italy was being treated like a "terrorist-act country."

The case has sparked a bitter row between the two nations. Italy has lambasted Indian officials for keeping the marines in India for two years without filing charges.

The Indian government said last week it would remove the possibility of a death penalty but would still prosecute the marines under the anti-piracy law. They could face up to 10 years in prison.

On Monday, the Indian Supreme Court set a Feb. 18 hearing to listen to the Italian and Indian arguments on the use of the anti-piracy law.

De Mistura said his government and others would continue to fight India's position.

"The international mobilization against the concept of having a country accused of terrorism for an incident in international waters by two of its own military is going to continue," he said.

The marines, Massimilian Latorre and Salvatore Girone, were part of a military security team on a cargo ship and fired at the fishermen, saying they mistook them for pirates. They are now on bail pending trial, and are living and working at the Italian Embassy in Delhi.

Italy also has fought India's insistence on prosecuting the marines, saying the shooting happened in international waters during an international anti-piracy mission and thus Rome, not India, should have jurisdiction.

India's Home Ministry has entrusted the investigation to an anti-terror agency. The Indian attorney general has blamed delays in the case on witnesses from the cargo ship failing to return to India to give evidence.