India has assured Italy that two Italian marines accused of murdering two fishermen and facing trial in India would not get the death penalty, Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid said in a statement in parliament Friday according to dpa. Khurshid also said the marines would not be arrested if they returned within the time frame set by India's Supreme Court. Indian diplomats said the marines were expected to arrive by the end of Friday. The court on February 22 had allowed the two marines, Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone, who were on bail and awaiting trial, totravel to Italy for four weeks to vote in the general elections. Italian Ambassador to India Daniele Mancini had given a personal assurance to the Supreme Court that the marines would return in four weeks. A diplomatic row followed after the Italian Foreign Ministry said India had violated international law by arresting the marines for an incident that happened in international waters and the marines would not be returning. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh warned Italy of "consequences" if the marines did not return and the Supreme Court ordered the Italian ambassador not to leave the country. After intensive diplomatic contact over the past 24 hours, the Italian government confirmed that the marines would be returning within the timeline set by the court, Foreign Ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said. The marines were deployed on an Italian oil tanker when they allegedly shot the fishermen off the coast of Kerala in February 2012 after mistaking them for pirates. On January 18, India's Supreme Court ordered setting up of a special court to hear the marines' case and also said the issue of jurisdiction over the case could be raised again before this court.
