A fishy manoeuvre to have murderers released

This is regarding the ongoing case between Italy and India on the Italian marines shooting innocent Indian fishermen.

By (John Cusak, Dubai)

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Published: Thu 20 Mar 2014, 9:03 PM

Last updated: Sat 4 Apr 2015, 4:05 AM

I find it really amusing that Italy is appealing to the UN to — in simple words — have two murderers released. I think the case is simple: If you are per cent sure the fishermen were pirates and you killed them, all praise for your heroic acts; but if not and you killed innocents, well, then you better face the legal music. You cannot just go around being trigger-happy and shooting civilians for the sake of fighting piracy.

Italy argues that the case sets dangerous and wide-ranging precedents for any country involved in anti-piracy missions overseas. In the first place it is extremely amusing that large ships up to five times the size of these small boats are frightened of them (even if they are armed). As the old saying by Sir William Blackstone goes, it is better that 10 guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer. I think the open seas are a much more dangerous place because of such trigger-happy marines on civilian ships than the pirates.


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