We the undersigned call for the release and at the very least free consular access of the recently detained six Ukrainian nationals and one American citizen in India: 

On the night of 13 March 2026, Indian authorities arrested six Ukrainian nationals and one American citizen, accusing them of illegally traveling to Mizoram state, illegally entering Myanmar and training anti‑junta ethnic armed groups in drone warfare, and illegally importing large drone shipments from Europe to ​Myanmar via India.

Per the National Investigation Agency's submission to the Delhi court, "they travelled to Mizoram without requisite documents - Restricted Area Permit (RAP)/Protected Area Permit (PAP) and entered Myanmar illegally and they were to collect a pre-scheduled training for Myanmar-based ethnic armed groups (EAGs), known to support terror organisations/gangs operating in India in the domain of drone warfare, drone operations, assembly and jamming technology, etc targeting the Myanmar Junta."

There they allegedly "conducted training for EAGs on more than one, in addition to illegally importing huge consignments of drones from Europe to Myanmar via India for the use of EAGs."

These allegedly supported "proscribed Indian insurgent groups by way of supplying weapons and other terrorist hardware and training them, thus affecting national security and interests of India." 

Yet we call attention to that, per the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's official statement, 

"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.

On 16 March 2026, a court hearing took place, which was also attended by representatives of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of India; however, they were not granted the opportunity to communicate directly with the detainees. [...] 

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." 

We further call attention to the fact that the court order has not named which if any of the Myanmar‑based ethnic armed groups these men allegedly met. 

Free communication by consular officers with their nationals is international law under article 36 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, of which India is a party: 

Article 36

COMMUNICATION AND CONTACT WITH NATIONALS OF THE SENDING STATE

1. With a view to facilitating the exercise of consular functions relating to
nationals of the sending State: 

(a) consular officers shall be free to communicate with nationals of the
sending State and to have access to them. Nationals of the sending
State shall have the same freedom with respect to communication with
and access to consular officers of the sending State;

(b) if he so requests, the competent authorities of the receiving State shall,
without delay, inform the consular post of the sending State if, within its
consular district, a national of that State is arrested or committed to
prison or to custody pending trial or is detained in any other manner.
Any communication addressed to the consular post by the person
arrested, in prison, custody or detention shall also be forwarded by
the said authorities without delay. The said authorities shall inform
the person concerned without delay of his rights under this sub-paragraph;

(c) consular officers shall have the right to visit a national of the sending
State who is in prison, custody or detention, to converse and correspond
with him and to arrange for his legal representation. They shall also
have the right to visit any national of the sending State who is in prison,
custody or detention in their district in pursuance of a judgment.
Nevertheless, consular officers shall refrain from taking action on behalf
of a national who is in prison, custody or detention if he expressly
opposes such action.

Once again, we the undersigned call for the release and at the very least free consular access of the recently detained six Ukrainian nationals and one American citizen in India.