New Delhi: Ukraine has lodged a formal protest with India over the detention of six of its nationals, calling for their release and “unimpeded consular access”. Six Ukrainian nationals and one American were detained by National Investigation Agency (NIA) Friday on the charge of conspiring to carry out terrorist attacks against India.
“Contrary to established international practice, the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of India did not receive any official notification from the competent authorities of India regarding the detention of Ukrainian citizens. The Ukrainian side insists on the immediate provision of unimpeded consular access to the detainees,” the Press Service of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
The statement added: “The Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of India Dr. Oleksandr Polishchuk held a meeting with the Secretary (West) of the Ministry of External Affairs of India, Mr. Sibi George, during which he handed over an official note of protest demanding the immediate release of the Ukrainian citizens and access to them. In addition, the Embassy is maintaining contacts with other competent authorities of India in order to clarify all the circumstances and reasons for the detention.”
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in its statement said the case revolves around the unauthorised presence of its nationals in Mizoram, whereas a special permit is normally required for foreign nationals to travel there. The statement added that the case also involves the “alleged illegal crossing of the state border between India and Myanmar”.
However, the seven foreign nationals were charged under Section 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. According to persons aware of the matter, the foreign nationals entered Mizoram without the required special permit and allegedly travelled to Myanmar, where they met with members of ethnic groups that have interests that are “inimical” to India, as reported by ThePrint.
Further, the foreign nationals are also accused by Indian authorities of having unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) delivered from Europe to Mizoram, before carrying them across the border into Myanmar.
“As of now, there are no established facts proving the involvement of the said Ukrainian citizens in unlawful activities on the territory of India or Myanmar. At the same time, certain publications, including in some Indian and Russian media outlets, contain distorted interpretations of the available facts, are manipulative in nature, and put forward unfounded allegations,” the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in its statement.
The six Ukrainians have been provided with legal aid and a lawyer. Ukrainian embassy officials attended the court hearing Monday, but were not allowed to “communicate directly” with the detainees. All seven foreign nationals have been sent to NIA’s custody for eleven days, till 27 March.
Kyiv added in its statement that “proper marking” of restricted areas requiring special permits for entrance is “often absent” and that this “creates a risk of unintentional violation of the established rules”.
“We draw attention to the fact that there are certain restricted-access zones in India for foreign nationals, entry to which is possible only with special permits. At the same time, proper marking of such areas on the ground is often absent, which creates a risk of unintentional violation of the established rules,” it said.
According to reports, three Ukrainian nationals each were detained at the Lucknow and New Delhi airports, while the American national was detained at Kolkata airport by the Bureau of Immigration. Investigations are continuing by the NIA. It is unclear when the seven nationals entered India and returned from Myanmar.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)