Matthew VanDyke and six Ukrainians granted bail in India

A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Delhi has granted default bail to American national Matthew VanDyke and six Ukrainian nationals. The group was arrested earlier this year in connection with an investigation into an alleged drone-warfare training camp linked to ethnic armed groups in Myanmar.

The NIA had initially filed charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), but terrorism-related allegations were dropped in the first chargesheet due to a lack of direct evidence affecting Indian sovereignty. Instead, the investigation has focused on violations of the Immigration and Foreigners Act regarding illegal entry and visa overstaying. The bail was granted after the NIA failed to complete its investigation within the mandatory 180-day period.

Special NIA Judge Prashant Sharma permitted the accused to travel to the United States and Ukraine for one month to visit their families. The court ordered the release of their passports, noting that the right to travel abroad is an extension of a fundamental right under the Indian Constitution. VanDyke, the founder of security firm Sons of Liberty International, was among those arrested at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in March.