Matthew VanDyke faces NIA detention in India amid allegations of paramilitary training

The family of US citizen Matthew Aaron VanDyke is seeking urgent diplomatic intervention from Washington regarding his continued detention at Tihar Jail in Delhi. VanDyke is currently in judicial custody under the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with a case involving alleged terror-related activities.

VanDyke’s family and legal representatives have raised concerns regarding his health, citing mobility and eyesight difficulties, as well as limited communication with relatives in the United States. A Delhi court previously directed jail authorities to provide specific health safeguards and dietary accommodations to suit his medical condition.

Investigations by the NIA involve charges under India’s Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Authorities are examining VanDyke’s activities, including allegations that he and his associates traveled through northeast India to illegally cross into Myanmar to train ethnic armed groups.

VanDyke is associated with Sons of Liberty International (SOLI), an organization that describes itself as a nonprofit private military contractor. Investigators are scrutinizing the organization’s funding and whether its operations serve as a vehicle for training foreign combatants in various global conflict zones.