American national Matthew Aaron VanDyke walked out of Delhi’s Tihar Jail on Thursday after a special NIA court permitted him to travel home to the United States for one month, even as a terror-conspiracy investigation against him remains open.
VanDyke was among seven foreign nationals — himself and six Ukrainian citizens — arrested by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) earlier this year. The agency alleged the group had entered India’s northeast and crossed into Myanmar through Mizoram without proper authorization, in connection with a suspected drone-warfare training camp linked to ethnic armed groups operating there.
The NIA initially booked them under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) alongside sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, alleging a broader conspiracy involving assistance — including drone training — to armed groups in India’s northeast and Myanmar. However, when the agency filed its first chargesheet on September 8, it dropped the terrorism-related charges, citing insufficient direct evidence of harm to India’s sovereignty.
Default Bail and Release
Because the NIA failed to complete its investigation within the mandatory 180-day window, Special NIA Judge Prashant Sharma of Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Courts granted VanDyke default bail on September 18, on a personal bond and surety of ₹1 lakh each. Five other Ukrainian nationals had earlier secured bail on similar terms, along with relief under the Immigration and Foreigners Act over unauthorized entry and visa-overstay charges.
On September 23, the court modified VanDyke’s bail conditions at his lawyer’s request, and a day later — after he cleared pending formalities with the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) — the judge cleared him and a Ukrainian co-accused to travel to their home countries for a month, with passports released for the trip.
The conditions: both must stay reachable to the NIA in person or via video call whenever required, share their contact details abroad, and return to India once the month is up.
Who Is Matthew VanDyke?
VanDyke, originally a freelance journalist and travel writer from Baltimore, has a long and unusual history of inserting himself into foreign conflicts. He was captured and held for months in one of Muammar Gaddafi’s prisons in Libya in 2011 before being freed by rebel forces — after which he chose to stay and fight alongside the rebels rather than return home immediately.
He later became involved in anti-regime movements in Syria and reportedly joined the war effort in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion. VanDyke also founded Sons of Liberty International, an organization that says it provides military training and support to local armed groups engaged in resisting authoritarian regimes — the kind of work that has now drawn him into India’s ongoing investigation.
The relief does not close the case. The NIA has not filed any closure report, and its underlying UAPA investigation remains active. Officials have indicated they could file additional charges if the probe turns up further evidence. For now, VanDyke and his Ukrainian co-accused are expected back in India once their month at home concludes.
