Rome: Italian marine Salvatore Girone, held in India on murder charges, will return home "in a few weeks", Defence Minister Roberta Pinotti said today.
Girone "will come back to Italy in a few weeks, there are still bureaucratic procedures to go through," Ms Pinotti was quoted as saying by the Italian news agency ANSA.
Mr Girone, along with another Italian marine Massimiliano Latorre on board ship 'Enrica Lexie', is accused by India of killing two of its fishermen off the Kerala coast in 2012.
He has not been able to leave India, aside from a few brief permits, since the incident.
Mr Latorre is back in Italy after suffering a stroke in 2014 while Mr Girone is staying at the Italian embassy in New Delhi.
Ms Pinotti said a UN tribunal in The Hague allowing Mr Girone back to Italy for the duration of arbitration was "nice news" but the process is long with a verdict not expected before 2018.
"It was nice news we were hoping for and for which we worked silently in close contact with the team of lawyers that handles the international dispute on the two marines," she said.
"The Hague tribunal recognised what we were asking and that is that Girone should return to Italy and live with his family. But the process will still be long," Ms Pinotti said.
"It's not over. We'll have to wait for the outcome of the arbitration, but I'm sure we'll get the right result," she added.
Girone "will come back to Italy in a few weeks, there are still bureaucratic procedures to go through," Ms Pinotti was quoted as saying by the Italian news agency ANSA.
Mr Girone, along with another Italian marine Massimiliano Latorre on board ship 'Enrica Lexie', is accused by India of killing two of its fishermen off the Kerala coast in 2012.
Mr Latorre is back in Italy after suffering a stroke in 2014 while Mr Girone is staying at the Italian embassy in New Delhi.
Advertisement
"It was nice news we were hoping for and for which we worked silently in close contact with the team of lawyers that handles the international dispute on the two marines," she said.
Advertisement
"It's not over. We'll have to wait for the outcome of the arbitration, but I'm sure we'll get the right result," she added.
COMMENTS
Advertisement
9 Fishermen To Be Paid 5 Lakhs Each In Italian Marines Case: Supreme Court Italy Dismisses Case Against Marines Over Murder Of Indian Fishermen Closing Of Marines Case Outcome Of Big Diplomatic Effort, Says Italy Minister On Camera, Sleeping Delhi Man Beaten For "Don't Urinate In Public" Request "If Donald Trump Doesn't Win....": Elon Musk Joins Ex US President On Stage "Shame On Them": Netanyahu As Macron Calls For Halt On Arms Deliveries Is It A Beginning Of #MeToo Movement In Music Industry? UP Villagers Kill Sixth And Final Wolf Ending Months-Long Operation On CCTV, Punjab Man Beats Boy, 5, For Imitating His Pet Dog Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.