The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) on Tuesday (local time) welcomed the decision of India's Supreme Court to relax conditions for the release of individuals detained as "foreigners" in Assam's detention centres due to concerns with the spread of COVID-19.
"We welcome this decision as a first step," a statement by USCIRF quoted its Chair Tony Perkins as saying.
"We urge the Indian Supreme Court to continue on this promising path and order the release of all those detained in the detention centres on humanitarian grounds. Even two years as a minimum time for release is unreasonable given the threat of detention centres becoming a breeding ground for the spread of COVID-19," he added.
In response to an application submitted by the Justice for Liberty Initiative, the Supreme Court on Monday ordered the release of detainees held for at least two years and lowered the personal bond amount necessary to secure release from Rs 100,000 to 5,000.
Coronavirus has impacted more than 200 countries and killed more than 5 lakh people globally.
India's count of positive COVID-19 cases has risen to 10,815, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Tuesday.
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