Happy that arrested Italians are being treated well: Staffan de Mistura

Italy's Deputy Foreign Minister Staffan de Mistura said on Thursday that he was happy the way the two Italian Marines arrested for killing two Indian fishermen are being treated.

"We have expressed our appreciation in the manner in which they have been treated," the minister told reporters here.

Mistura arrived in Kochi on Wednesday night and then drove to Kottayam for a two-hour meeting with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

Two Indian fishermen, Ajesh Binki and Gelastine, were allegedly mistaken as pirates and shot dead by the security crew of cargo vessel Enrica Lexie on February 15 off Alappuzha. Two Marines have been arrested for the shooting.

Latorre Massimillano and Salvatore Girone were remanded by a court in Kollam, 150 km from here, to 14 days of police custody.

A petition was filed in the Kerala High Court on behalf of two Marines Wenesday seeking quashing of the murder charges filed against them in the trial court.