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The Indian government freed Kashmiri chief cleric and Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday after more than four years of house arrest<\/a>.<\/p>\n The 50-year-old was detained<\/a> along with other political leaders and thousands of residents when the government cancelled held Kashmir\u2019s constitutional semi-autonomy and imposed federal rule<\/a> in 2019.<\/p>\n A months-long internet shutdown followed as India bolstered its armed forces in the region to contain protests<\/a>.<\/p>\n Most detainees were subsequently released, but Mirwaiz remained unable to leave his residence, down the street from his Jamia Masjid mosque in Srinagar.<\/p>\n Thousands of worshippers gathered to see him lead Friday prayers for the first time in 218 weeks, with women showering him with sweets and religious slogans resounding around the 14th-century building.<\/p>\n Last week, a court asked authorities to explain his continued detention and he told the crowd that police informed him on Thursday that officials had decided to release him.<\/p>\n