Family of American mercenary Matthew VanDyke rally for his release from Tihar Jail

The family of American mercenary and trainer of rebels Matthew VanDyke, who is in New Delhi's Tihar Jail after being arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in March, has asked the US Embassy to "intervene urgently" to "bring him back home".

"The family of Matthew VanDyke seeks urgent US diplomatic intervention as Matthew VanDyke is presently still denied basic detainee rights, and is being kept in solitary confinement at Tihar Jail 8/9 in Delhi, India. It is time to bring Matthew VanDyke back home," the family of the former mercenary and prisoner of war (PoW) posted from his verified X handle with the last edit on Monday.

According to the statement, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor had earlier briefed Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio about VanDyke's situation during the latter's visit to New Delhi in May.

VanDyke has been booked under Section 18 (conspiracy to commit a terrorist act) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The provision covers conspiring, attempting, aiding, advising or facilitating the commission of a terrorist act.

The NIA has accused Matthew VanDyke of entering Mizoram without the mandatory Restricted Area Permit and illegally crossing into Myanmar. It alleges that VanDyke contacted ethnic armed groups there and helped train them in weapons handling and drone warfare, including drone assembly, operations and jamming technology. The agency has further alleged that the group planned to import drones from Europe and supply weapons and other military hardware to Myanmar-based groups linked to proscribed insurgent organisations in India's Northeast.

VanDyke was detained at Kolkata airport on March 13. On the same day, three Ukrainian nationals were arrested at Delhi airport. Three more Ukrainians were arrested at Lucknow airport the same day.

VANDYKE'S FAMILY SEEKS URGENT US INTERVENTION, FLAGS HIS FAILING HEALTH

In a statement issued by Sons of Liberty International (SOLI), the organisation founded by VanDyke, his family said that he had been detained at Kolkata airport on March 11 and was transferred from the NIA headquarters to Tihar Jail on April 6. The statement claimed that he had an injured leg and diminished eyesight and had been denied prescription medicines and regular communication with his family.

According to the statement, the family said VanDyke's lawyers, Rohit Dandriyal and Rohit Gour, had approached a court in Delhi seeking permission for his treatment at a private hospital and proper communication with his relatives in the US. According to the statement, both applications were denied on June 1.

It alleged that VanDyke's mother, Sharon VanDyke, who is over 80, had been allowed only a five-minute emergency call with him several months ago. The statement also claimed that VanDyke was "too weak to stand or walk during a court appearance" and now used a wheelchair while meeting his lawyers.

In July, it was reported that VanDyke moved a court in Delhi seeking permission to cook his own meals in Tihar Jail, claiming that the prison's spicy and oily food had left him unable to eat for over 50 days and caused him to lose around 14 kg since May 6. He requested an induction stove and an "American-style diet" comprising items including chicken, red meat, fish, pasta, rice, bread, vegetables and soy milk, with his family offering to bear the cost.

FAMILY FLAGS HEALTH, HUNGER STRIKE

The statement said VanDyke began an "only-liquids hunger strike" on May 6 and attempted to end it on June 18. A court-approved application allowing humanitarian food was granted on July 21, the family claimed.

It further alleged that VanDyke was yet to receive an approved mosquito net and kettle and was eating only oatmeal because other food items purchased for him were not being provided.

"This is a humanitarian emergency for our family," his mother said in the statement. "Matthew has spent his life documenting human suffering and supporting people in crisis. We are pleading for his safe return home."

The family said Sharon VanDyke and its spokesperson, Gia Santos, visited Washington, DC, from June 1 to 3 and again on July 8 and 9 to hold discussions with Congressional offices and the US State Department.

VanDyke's judicial custody has been extended until September 8, the statement said.

WHO IS MATTHEW VANDYKE?

Matthew Aaron VanDyke is a Baltimore-born American mercenary, filmmaker and founder of Sons of Liberty International (SOLI), a non-profit organisation that provides military training and security assistance to armed groups. A graduate of Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, VanDyke spent much of his adult life travelling through conflict zones and participating in foreign wars.

He first gained international attention during the 2011 Libyan Civil War, when he joined rebel forces fighting Muammar Gaddafi's regime. VanDyke was captured by Gaddafi's forces and spent nearly six months in solitary confinement before fellow prisoners broke open his cell during the fall of Tripoli. Following his release, he returned to the battlefield and fought alongside anti-Gaddafi rebels.

VanDyke later worked in Syria, where he filmed and advised rebel groups. In 2014, following the killings of American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff by the Islamic State, he founded SOLI. The organisation describes itself as a non-profit security contractor offering free training, advice and supplies to forces "fighting terrorist groups and authoritarian regimes."

He subsequently fought against the Islamic State in Iraq and helped train local forces. After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, SOLI trained Ukrainian civilians and military personnel, while VanDyke also enlisted in Ukraine's armed forces.

His experiences in Libya were documented in Point and Shoot, which won the award for Best Documentary Feature at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival. Although VanDyke has sometimes been described as a CIA asset, there is no publicly available evidence establishing a formal relationship with the agency, and he has denied working for it.