India is violating international law by detaining two members of the Italian Navy

[Principe Alessandro]

http://my.news.yahoo.com/italians-fa...083957076.html

Two Italian soldiers were due before a magistrate in India on Monday for allegedly shooting dead two Indian fishermen mistaken for pirates trying to attack an oil tanker.
The Italians, who were deployed on the ship to protect against the growing threat from pirates in the Indian Ocean, were escorted off the vessel in the southern port of Cochin and arrested on Sunday evening.
"Their arrest has been recorded and detailed investigations are going on," P. Chandrashekharan, additional director general of police, told AFP, adding the two had been charged with murder.
The Italian foreign ministry said the men had immunity from Indian law as the Enrica Lexie was under the Italian flag as it sailed past the coast of Kerala from Singapore to Egypt when the shooting occurred on Wednesday.
"The Italian government believes that it is the Italian judiciary that is competent, given that the acts that happened in international waters onboard a ship flying the Italian flag," the ministry said on Sunday.
Italian officials have said the Indian fishing boat behaved aggressively and was repeatedly warned by officers on board the ship before guards opened fire.
But India has protested against the deaths of the unarmed men and said that the Italian soldiers must face justice in local courts.
Ships are increasingly employing armed guards for protection off the coast of Somalia and further afield as vessels of all sizes have been seized by pirates who often secure huge ransoms for the crews' safe release.
Various media reports have said the fishing boat, which had 11 men on board, was between 14 and 40 miles (22 and 65 kilometres) off the coast when it was fired on by the 58,000-tonne tanker.
On Saturday, Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna told his Italian counterpart in a telephone conservation that the fishermen posed no threat to any ship.

Well the argument of the topic is in the title.

[DarthLazy]

They should be executed, who are they to attack fishermen they "think" to be robbing an oil tanker?

[Heinz Guderian]

The Italians, who were deployed on the ship to protect against the growing threat from pirates in the Indian Ocean, were escorted off the vessel in the southern port of Cochin and arrested on Sunday evening.

at least they didnt jump ship at the first sight of trouble.

[Principe Alessandro]

They should be executed, who are they to attack fishermen they "think" to be robbing an oil tanker?

Firstly we don't know if they are really guilty and secondly India has no jurisdiction because the crime happened in international waters in a vessel with the Italian flag.

Also those soldiers were on military duties so the jurisdiction should fall under an Italian military court.

[xcorps]

Firstly we don't know if they are really guilty and secondly India has no jurisdiction because the crime happened in international waters in a vessel with the Italian flag.

Also those soldiers were on military duties so the jurisdiction should fall under an Italian military court.

You cannot attack a vessel because of something you "Think" it is doing. The navigation of a vessel does not constitute piracy under any circumstances. Colliding or alliding or the threat of collision or allision with another vessel because of poor seamanship does not constitute piracy under any circumstances.

It appears based on your source that the Italians attack the Indians. The Indians were physically located on their own vessel. The Italians attacked them. It even says in the article you posted that "the tanker fired on the fishing vessel." That is an attack. It doesn't matter what the Italians thought, they were in violation of international law. Piracy has a very narrow and specific definition. Unless the Indians actions fit within that narrow definition, you cannot assume they are pirates and shoot at them.

The Italians belong in Indian cout.

[Aper]

They should be executed, who are they to attack fishermen they "think" to be robbing an oil tanker?

Since no proof have been provided, since no one still knows if the boat where the fishermen were was the same that attacked the cargo, since the marines shot in water, they deserve to be executed as much as you, up to now.

[ash874]

if international law indeed says india cant detain them than its another example of how moronic it is
its pretty obvious nothing will happen to them unless found clear evidence that they did something criminal on purpose

[Heinz Guderian]

Not a fan of internationl law Ash? Why is that?

[ash874]

Not a fan of internationl law Ash? Why is that?

why should i take orders from people like you?

[Heinz Guderian]

why should i take orders from people like you?

but withour International Law, diplomacy would be redundant. It would be like in Biblical times with God telling armies to hunt for foreskins.

[The Gurkhan]

why should i take orders from people like you?

If he yells 'schnell' afterwards would you follow them then?

[Exarch]

aah international waters, where anything goes.

[jamson]

International waters?
So its belongs to the US and their cronies?

[mrmouth]

International waters?
So its belongs to the US and their cronies?

Mentioning the US, why?

I mean obviously ignoring the ignorance about international maritime law...

[DannyTh3Man]

International waters?
So its belongs to the US and their cronies?

Interesting it only took half the front page to drag the States into a small international issue that has nothing to do with them.

Anyway as the ship was under the Italian flag in international waters, this is an Italian matter to deal with.
In Italy it's likely they'll face a light sentence or none if protocol was followed properly.
In India they have no chance for justice, as there will be too strong a bias against them.

[Vítor Gaspar]

I don't know enough about what happened to have an opinion on this.

Until more details are known it will all be mere speculation.

[Col. Tartleton]

The Italian legal system is retarded. I'm with India on this.

[Treize]

Italian officials have said the Indian fishing boat behaved aggressively and was repeatedly warned by officers on board the ship before guards opened fire.

African/Asian fishers should stay the hell away from international cargo vessels.
Black men in small boats closing in on cargoships = pirates = shoot to kill.

[Vítor Gaspar]

African/Asian fishers should stay the hell away from international cargo vessels.
Black men in small boats closing in on cargoships = pirates = shoot to kill.

Anytime I venture into the Political Mudpit my confidence in the future of humankind reaches the bottom.

[ash874]

what is schnell?