Italy issues India travel warning as tensions grow
Italy has issued a travel warning to its tourists in India amid growing tensions over Rome's decision not return two marines charged with the murder of two Indian fishermen they mistook for pirates.
Kerala, India.

By Dean Nelson, New Delhi

9:58PM GMT 17 Mar 2013

The announcement provoked an outcry among opposition leaders who called for Italy's ambassador to India to be charged with contempt.

Daniele Mancini had promised the two marines would return if India allowed them to go home to vote in last month's general election and spend Easter with their families.

His affidavit convinced India's Supreme Court to allow them to leave.

India's Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh last week warned there would be "consequences" for Italy if the two men are not returned to face trial.

Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone were charged with murder after they shot dead two Indian fishermen whose vessel came too close to an Italian oil tanker they were guarding in what they said were international waters off the coast of Kerala.

Italy says the men should be tried in its courts and that the incident does not come under Indian jurisdiction, but India has accused it of flouting diplomatic norms by breaking its promise to return the marines.

The row erupted last week amid continuing tensions between the two countries over allegations that Finmeccanica, one of Italy's biggest companies, paid bribes to win a lucrative Indian defence contract. Its middlemen allegedly paid bribes to relatives of India's former air chief for a contract to supply British-made Agusta Westland helicopters to the Indian defence forces.

Now its officials are bracing themselves for a backlash and fear its citizens in India could be targeted. It warned them to be extremely cautious and avoid public demonstrations, particularly in Kerala, the closest state to where the fishermen were killed.

Italians should "maintain an alert and cautious attitude and to stay away from any public meetings", its Foreign Ministry said in a statement.