Ukraine Demands Immediate Release of Six Nationals Arrested by NIA in India
In a significant diplomatic development, Ukraine has formally protested to India over the arrest of six of its citizens by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The Ukrainian government handed over an official note of protest on Tuesday, demanding the immediate release of the detained individuals and access to them.
Details of the Arrests and Charges
The NIA has arrested six Ukrainian nationals and one US citizen, identified as Matthew Aaron Van Dyke, on charges related to supporting ethnic war groups in Myanmar. The arrests were made under Section 18 (Terror Conspiracy) and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The accused are alleged to have supplied weapons, terrorist hardware, and training to these groups, which the NIA claims affects India's national security and interests.
The detained Ukrainians are Hurba Petro, Slyviak Taras, Ivan Sukmanovskyi, Stefankiv Marian, Honcharuk Maksim, and Kaminskyi Viktor. A special NIA judge, Prashant Sharma, remanded all seven to 11-day custody on Monday, after the agency sought 15 days for investigation.
Ukraine's Diplomatic Response
Ukraine's Ambassador to India, Dr. Oleksandr Polishchuk, met with Sibi George, the Secretary (West) of India's Ministry of External Affairs, to deliver the protest note. The Press Service of Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the embassy is maintaining contacts with Indian authorities to clarify the circumstances of the detention.
According to Ukraine, the charges involve unauthorized presence in Mizoram, a protected area requiring special permits, and alleged illegal crossing of the India-Myanmar border. The Ukrainian statement emphasized that there are no established facts proving the involvement of its citizens in unlawful activities in India or Myanmar, and it criticized some media reports as distorted and manipulative.
Consular Access and Legal Proceedings
Ukraine has raised concerns about not receiving official notification from Indian authorities regarding the detention. The embassy insists on unimpeded consular access to the detainees and has provided legal aid and defense counsel through Ukrainian consular officers. Representatives from the embassy attended the court hearing on March 16.
The statement also highlighted issues with restricted-access zones in India, noting that proper marking on the ground is often absent, which could lead to unintentional violations by foreign nationals.
International Reactions
A US Embassy spokesperson acknowledged awareness of the situation involving the US citizen but declined to comment further due to privacy reasons. The case has drawn attention to international diplomatic tensions and security concerns in the region.
Special public prosecutor Atul Tyagi, along with Amit Rohila and others, represented the NIA in court. The agency alleged that the foreigners entered India on visas, proceeded to Mizoram, and then crossed into Myanmar to contact ethnic war groups.
Ukraine's diplomatic mission remains in constant contact with the relatives of the detained citizens and is monitoring the situation closely, underscoring the ongoing efforts to resolve this international dispute.
