The family of American mercenary and rebel trainer Matthew VanDyke, who is currently lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail after his arrest by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in March, has sought urgent intervention from the US Embassy to bring him back home.
In a post shared from VanDyke’s verified X account, his family said he was being denied basic rights as a detainee and was being kept in solitary confinement at Tihar Jail.
“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,” the post said.
The family has also raised concerns about his health and called on US authorities to intervene in the matter.
According to the statement, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor had earlier discussed VanDyke’s situation with Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during the latter’s visit to New Delhi in May.
VanDyke has been booked under Section 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), which deals with conspiracy and other acts connected to terrorist activities.
The NIA has accused VanDyke of entering Mizoram without the required Restricted Area Permit and then illegally crossing into Myanmar. The agency alleged that he came in contact with ethnic armed groups and provided training in weapons handling and drone warfare, including drone assembly, operations and jamming technology.
Investigators have also alleged that there were plans to bring drones from Europe and supply weapons and other military equipment to Myanmar-based groups linked to banned insurgent organisations in India’s Northeast.
VanDyke was detained at Kolkata airport in March. On the same day, several Ukrainian nationals were also arrested at airports in Delhi and Lucknow.
FAMILY RAISES CONCERNS OVER HIS HEALTH
In a statement issued by Sons of Liberty International (SOLI), the organisation founded by VanDyke, his family claimed that his health had deteriorated during his detention.
The family said VanDyke was transferred from the NIA headquarters to Tihar Jail in April. According to the statement, he has an injured leg and poor eyesight and was allegedly denied prescription medicines and regular communication with his family in the US.
His lawyers, Rohit Dandriyal and Rohit Gour, reportedly approached a Delhi court seeking permission for his treatment at a private hospital and better communication with his relatives. According to the family, both applications were rejected on June 1.
The statement also said VanDyke’s mother, Sharon VanDyke, who is over 80 years old, was allowed only a five-minute emergency phone call with him several months ago.
The family further claimed that VanDyke had become too weak to stand or walk during a court appearance and was now using a wheelchair while meeting his lawyers.
CLAIMS OF HUNGER STRIKE AND WEIGHT LOSS
In July, VanDyke reportedly approached a Delhi court seeking permission to cook his own food inside Tihar Jail.
He claimed that the prison food was too spicy and oily for him and that he had been unable to eat properly for more than 50 days. According to his plea, he had lost around 14 kg since May 6.
He requested permission to use an induction stove and asked for an American-style diet that included chicken, meat, fish, pasta, rice, bread, vegetables and soy milk. His family reportedly offered to pay for the food.
The family said VanDyke began consuming only liquids as part of a hunger strike on May 6 and tried to end it on June 18. According to the statement, a court later approved an application allowing humanitarian food on July 21.
The family also alleged that some approved items, including a mosquito net and kettle, had still not been provided to him. It claimed that he was mainly surviving on oatmeal as other food items bought for him were not being given to him.
“This is a humanitarian emergency for our family,” his mother said in the statement, while appealing for his safe return to the United States.
The family said Sharon VanDyke and SOLI spokesperson Gia Santos travelled to Washington, DC, in June and July to meet officials from Congressional offices and the US State Department.
According to the statement, VanDyke’s judicial custody has been extended until September 8.
WHO IS MATTHEW VANDYKE?
Matthew Aaron VanDyke is a Baltimore-born American mercenary, filmmaker and the founder of Sons of Liberty International (SOLI), an 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 life travelling through conflict zones and taking part in foreign conflicts.
He gained international attention during the 2011 Libyan Civil War after joining rebel forces fighting against Muammar Gaddafi’s government. He was captured by Gaddafi’s forces and spent nearly six months in solitary confinement before being freed during the fall of Tripoli.
After his release, VanDyke returned to the battlefield and fought alongside anti-Gaddafi rebels.
He 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 that provides training, advice and supplies to groups fighting terrorist organisations and authoritarian regimes.
VanDyke later 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 himself also joined Ukraine’s armed forces.
His experiences during the Libyan Civil War were documented in the film Point and Shoot, which won the Best Documentary Feature award at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival.
Although VanDyke has at times been described as a CIA asset, there is no publicly available evidence confirming a formal relationship with the agency, and he has denied working for the CIA.