Turning point in the Marò case: Salvatore Girone will return to Italy and will remain there throughout the arbitration initiated by the Italian government before the Arbitration Court of The Hague, which accepted the Italian request, inviting the parties to agree on the procedures for the rifleman's return home by Marina. The ordinance will be made public tomorrow but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the anticipation, underlining that our government "counts on a constructive attitude from India also in the subsequent and substantive phases of the dispute".
Girone, together with his colleague Massimiliano Latorre – already in Italy with a special permit for serious health reasons – is accused of having killed two fishermen off the coast of India in 2012, during an anti-piracy mission.
“I spoke to Marine Girone who will be able to return to Italy – said Prime Minister Matteo Renzi at a press conference in Florence with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe -. It is a truly significant step forward on which we have worked with great dedication and determination". The Premier then launched “a message of friendship and collaboration to the great Indian people and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We are always ready to collaborate”.
From the Farnesina they explain that "the decision of the Court of The Hague implements the legal and humanitarian considerations deriving from Girone's stay in India for over four years and which could have been extended for another two or three years, taking into account the expected duration of the arbitration proceeding. The government will immediately start consultations with India so that the conditions for following up on the decision of the Arbitral Tribunal are defined and agreed in a short time. The government stresses that today's decision of the Tribunal relating to the measures requested by Italy in favor of Sergente Girone does not affect the continuation of the arbitration procedure, which will have to define whether Italy or India has jurisdiction over the Enrica Lexie case”.
