Chandy promises to safeguard their rights
Italian Defence Minister Admiral (retd.) Giampaolo Di Paola met Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Thursday and demanded that the government extend the courtesy and rights due to prisoners of war to the two Italian marines arrested in connection with the shooting of two Indian fishermen from an Italian-flagged vessel off the coast of Kerala on February 15.
Officials said Admiral Di Paola, a former Chief of Staff of the Italian Armed Forces, stressed the point that the remand prisoners were serving soldiers. He demanded that they be housed in separate quarters with sufficient facilities for their physical and mental wellbeing. He reportedly said that the international convention on the humanitarian treatment of prisoners of war guaranteed such minimum rights. Mr. Chandy said the judiciary was considering the case and the political executive could not and did not interfere with the country's criminal justice system. There was only a minimum the State government could do in the matter. The marines would be extended all rights and protection guaranteed by the law of the land.
The court had ordered that the marines be given their staple diet. They were allowed to meet Italian consulate officers periodically.
Additional Chief Secretary K. Jayakumar; State police chief Jacob Punnose; Additional Director General of Police, Prisons, Alexander Jacob; Additional Director General of Police, South Zone, P. Chandrasekhar; and Inspector General of Police Shiekh Darvesh Sahib were present during the meeting.
Earlier, Admiral Di Paola and a 15-member delegation comprising Italian diplomats and high-ranking military personnel arrived at the sprawling 125-year-old Central Prison complex here in a cavalcade of government and police vehicles. Superintendent of the prison B. Pradeep Kumar ushered the Italian Minister to his room, where he met and interacted with the marines in person for at least an hour.
I think it must not be very difficult for Franco to understand that the judicary in India is independent and the process is decided in the courts and not on internet. Additionally, do not forget that in Italy the laws were being made by the parliament specially to save the then officiating prime minister Berlosconi who was celebrating the Bunga-Bunga parties with ........ The height of that these laws were to be operational retroactive in order to save him. Admiral Di Paola is talking rubbish as the soldiers are not prisoners of war but defendents in a very serious charge of murder of two.
Italian defence minister is considering India a weak nation ruled
by inefficient politicians where law and judicial procedures can
easily be tampered to suit their purpose. Chief Minister of Kerala
and Indian defence minister should be appreciated for their clear
cut statements right from beginning in this case. Independence of
Indian judiciary need not be questioned by any country and justice
indeed will be rendered according to law of our country.
I'm quite astonish every time I read news on this issue and how a civil country like India can have this kind of behaviour, not to discover the truth but to find a easy guilty.
I wrote this, based on news and a lot of details that are internationally known but not in India as any Indian Newspaper wants to print. Details are a lot of, I cannot write them all, the readers can go into internet to check the above details and make their own idea about this matter.... I have allready have made mine.. First
somebody want to hits our best representative citizen in India, the second.... If I have a problem sailing the international water closed to cost of India I surely will not accept any Indian Authority invitation!!
Is Admiral Di Paola the Italian version of Colonel Blimp? Have I
missed something? Since when has Italy been at war with India? As
Prisoners of War they should be accorded the same rights and
conditions as that of the Indian soldier. Perhaps, they would prefer
that.
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