On Friday, the government of India free Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq after more than four years of house arrest.
India detained him along with other political leaders and thousands of residents when the government cancelled held Kashmir’s constitutional semi-autonomy and imposed federal rule in 2019.
A months-long internet shutdown followed as India bolstered its armed forces in the region to contain protests.
Most detainees were subsequently released, but Mirwaiz remained unable to leave his residence, down the street from his Jamia Masjid mosque in Srinagar.
