An American citizen and six Ukrainians who had been detained in India for more than six months have been released on bail and allowed to leave the country.
The American, 47-year-old Matthew VanDyke, returned to the United States on Saturday and was reunited with his family, according to a family spokesperson.
VanDyke was detained by Indian authorities in March along with six Ukrainian nationals. They were accused of supporting ethnic separatist groups and allegedly smuggling weapons and drones to armed groups fighting Indian authorities.
VanDyke, who runs a Washington, DC-based security consultancy, denied the allegations. His family said he had travelled to the region to document the situation facing minority ethnic groups.
Earlier this month, Indian prosecutors decided not to pursue terrorism charges against VanDyke and the others. Instead, they formally accused them of violating visa regulations by entering restricted areas near India's border with Myanmar.
VanDyke's family said his health deteriorated during his detention at Tihar Jail. They said he lost weight after undertaking a month-long hunger strike over prison conditions and had to use a wheelchair to attend court hearings.
The Indian National Congress, the country's main opposition party, questioned the decision to allow VanDyke to return to the United States. Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh suggested that pressure from the United States may have influenced the outcome, although he did not provide evidence for the claim.
VanDyke is a former filmmaker and rebel fighter who participated in the Libyan uprising against Muammar Gaddafi. He previously spent about six months in a Libyan prison, where he was held alongside American journalist James Foley, who was later killed by ISIL in Syria.
In recent years, VanDyke was based in Ukraine, where his consultancy provided training to Ukrainian military personnel.
The six Ukrainian nationals detained alongside him were also released on Saturday.
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