Summary Latore and Salvatore Girone were welcomed back by their emotional families.
ROME: Two Italian marines awaiting trial in India for shooting two fishermen arrived back in Italy on Saturday after they won permission to spend Christmas with their families.
"Finally we re breathing the air of home. I m finding it difficult to believe it s true," Massimiliano Latore said after the pair landed at Rome s Ciampino military airport.
Latore and Salvatore Girone were welcomed back by their families, who were visibly emotional as they rushed on to the plane to great them.
"Our hearts are full of joy. We send our utmost thanks to the Italian and India government for giving us the chance to spend Christmas together," Girone s father said.
The marines were allowed to travel back to Italy after an Indian court ruled in their favour, despite prosecution fears that they will not return.
Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti telephoned the marines on their arrival, "wished them a happy Christmas and repeated the government s commitment to resolve the case," his office said.
The pair were expected to meet with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano later Saturday.
The marines shot dead the fishermen off India s southwestern coast near the port city of Kochi in February while guarding an Italian oil tanker, but they deny murder on the grounds that they mistook their victims for pirates.
The pair had to pledge a bank guarantee for 60 million rupees ($1.1 million) and were told to return to Kochi on or before January 10.
Italy s ambassador had given the court an undertaking that the marines would return to India to face trial in a case that has caused a diplomatic row between the two countries.
Rome has repeatedly called the case against the two men illegal and has appealed to India s Supreme Court to quash it.
Italy insists the marines should be prosecuted in their home country because the shootings involved an Italian-flagged vessel in international waters, but India says the incident took place in waters under its jurisdiction.
Armed guards are increasingly deployed on cargo ships and tankers in the Indian Ocean to tackle the threat posed by Somali pirates, who often hold ships and crews hostage for months demanding multi-million-dollar ransoms.
The marines fate has attracted widespread interest in Italy, and also caused a stir at the Indian Grand Prix near New Delhi in October.
Ferrari was forced to deny that its decision to put Italian naval flags on its cars for the race was a sign of support for the marines.
Since being granted bail in May, the two marines had been living in Kochi under court orders not to leave the town.
