Release of Kashmiri prisoners urged amid virus outbreak

Human rights groups say detentions without charge or trial violate both Indian and international law, and with many courts now closed, the public health emergency should not be used to bypass accountability.

As India observes a nationwide lockdown, one area has already been under heavy restrictions.

There has been a curfew and communications blackout in Indian-administered Kashmir since the government revoked the region’s autonomy last year.

Thousands of people have been arrested and held without charge or trial, and human rights groups say they must be released amid the current coronavirus pandemic.

Al Jazeera’s Elizabeth Puranam reports from New Delhi, India.