Delhi High Court Issues Notice On Petition By Ukrainian Citizens Against Denial Of Permission For E-Meetings With Families
These foreign nationals are accused of entering Myanmar illegally and subsequently entering Mizoram to establish contact with ethnic groups.
Published : September 2, 2026 at 6:48 PM IST
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has issued notice on a petition filed by six Ukrainian nationals—accused of coming to India to train ethnic groups from the North-East—challenging the denial of permission for 'e-mulaqat' (video conferencing) with their family members while in jail.
A bench led by Justice Navin Chawla ordered the issuance of the notice. The next hearing in the matter is scheduled for September 21.
In the petition, the six Ukrainian nationals have challenged a circular dated December 26, 2022, which denies foreign nationals permission to communicate with their family members via e-mulaqat. The petition asserts that this circular constitutes a “blatant violation” of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution. Denying a prisoner permission to meet family members infringes upon their dignity and mental health, and prevents them from maintaining connections with society, the petitioners said.
Recently, the High Court dismissed a petition challenging a trial court order that had extended the investigation period against these foreign nationals from 90 to 180 days. The foreign nationals are accused of illegally entering Myanmar and subsequently accessing protected areas in Mizoram to establish contact with ethnic groups. The accused face charges of supplying illegal weapons, training ethnic groups, and assisting them in operating drones.
The group of seven foreigners comprises six Ukrainian nationals and one American national. According to the NIA, these individuals arrived in India on visas and entered Mizoram, a protected area. Subsequently, they crossed into Myanmar and established contact with ethnic militant groups.
The NIA states that these foreign nationals received training in Myanmar and were, in turn, training ethnic militant groups; these groups are linked to insurgent factions active in India. It is also alleged that they brought a large consignment of drones from Europe.
The NIA has registered an FIR against them under various sections of the UAPA.
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