European Parliament should not adopt anti-India resolution:MEA

The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday said that the European Parliament should not adopt a resolution against India on the issue of the two Italian marines who are facing a legal case in the Supreme Court over the killing of two Indian fishermen.

MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said that the apex court bench headed by Justice A R Dave has granted three months extension of bail to the accused marine Massimiliano Latorre on health grounds.

"The case involving the two Italian marines having killed two Indian fishermen is sub judice and is being discussed between India and Italy. The Supreme Court of India, in its ruling on 14 of January has granted three months extension to the Italian Marine Massimiliano Latorre for his stay in Italy on health grounds. And the other marine Salvatore Girone, is staying in the Italian embassy in New Delhi," Akbaruddin told ANI.

"Under these circumstances, the European Parliament would have been well advised not to adopt the resolution," he added.

Earlier on Wednesday, the European Parliament had reportedly adopted a resolution calling for the repatriation of two Italian marines currently the subject of a legal case in the Supreme Court over the killing of two Indian fishermen in February 2012.

According to reports, the Members of the European Parliament had expressed 'great sadness' at the death of the two Indian fishermen, but also expressed 'grave concerns' about the detention of the marines stating that restrictions on the marines' freedom of movement represented 'a serious breach of their human rights'.

Italian marine Massimiliano Latorre had earlier sought two months' extension of his stay in Italy for undergoing heart surgery, whileSalvatore Girone had sought the apex court's nod to go to Italy to celebrate Christmas.

Latorre and Girone were part of a military security team protecting a tanker from an alleged piracy strike, and are accused of shooting two Indian fishermen off the coast of Kerala in February 2012.