Ukraine submitted protest letter against six citizens arrested by NIA, demanding release…

Ukraine on Tuesday submitted an “official protest letter” over the arrest of Ukrainian citizens in India, demanding their immediate release. The letter was delivered to Sibi George, Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs of India, in which Dr. Oleksandr Polishchuk, Ambassador of the Ukrainian Embassy, ​​expressed concern over the detention of six citizens and appealed for justice for them.

Let us tell you, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had arrested six Ukrainian citizens and one American citizen on charges of supplying weapons and training them to ethnic war groups in Myanmar. Five of the arrested citizens are Ukrainians, including Hruba Petro, Slivyak Taras, Ivan Suchmanovsky, Stefankiv Marian and Honcharuk Maxim, while one American citizen, Matthew Aaron Van Dyke, is also included.

Let us tell you, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in its statement that after the time of arrest, the embassy contacted the Indian authorities and raised questions for clarity on the reasons for the detention. His allegation was that he did not receive any official notification of the arrest and the case was misrepresented in the media.

At the same time, NIA alleged that these foreign nationals were present in Mizoram without permission and had crossed the India-Myanmar border illegally. Additionally, they are accused of being associated with ethnic armed groups and engaged in activities against Indian citizens, thereby impacting national security.

The Ukrainian Embassy has appealed to the Indian authorities to provide unhindered consular access to these citizens and said that they will provide full legal assistance for the rights of their citizens. Additionally, the Embassy has maintained constant contact with the families of the detained citizens and monitored the situation.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry also said that special permission is required for foreign citizens to enter Mizoram and other border areas, and at times the rules may be inadvertently violated when entering these areas.

This matter has come amid increasing tension between India and Ukraine, and efforts are being made to find a solution to it at the diplomatic level between the two countries.