New Delhi ( CNN ) A court in India 's troubled northeastern region has freed a female activist who has been on hunger strike for 14 years in protest against special powers given to the military to combat rebels , her lawyer said Friday . Irom Sharmila , 42 , started her hunger strike in 2000 after 10 civilians were killed in a shooting blamed on the army in Manipur state . Sharmila -- also known as the `` Iron lady of Manipur '' -- has demanded the repeal of India 's Armed Forces ( Special Powers ) Act ( AFSPA ) because it gives sweeping powers to the military to search properties , detain suspects without warrants and shoot on sight . Since 2000 , Sharmila has been arrested 14 times for trying to kill herself , prompting authorities to force feed her under a law that makes attempted suicide illegal , her counsel Khaidem Mani told CNN . But Mani challenged the attempted suicide charge , citing the country 's history of hunger strikes . Mahatma Gandhi used the same mode of protest during the nation 's independence struggle , he told the sessions court in Imphal East , a district of Manipur . `` I also argued that a hunger strike was no crime , '' he said . The magistrate ruled there was insufficient evidence to prove she was attempting to commit suicide . In doing so , he overturned a lower court 's attempt to put her on trial for attempted suicide . After the court ordered her release , Sharmila resumed her hunger strike , her lawyer added . Last year , India 's Vice President Hamid Ansari admitted there had been `` serious complaints of misuse of the AFSPA . '' `` This reflects poorly on the state and its agents , '' a statement from his office said . Meantime , Amnesty International called Sharmila 's arrests `` farcical , '' saying she should not be taken into custody again . `` The judgment must end the farcical cycle of arrest and re-arrest that this brave activist has faced for so long . Authorities must not detain Irom Sharmila again but engage with the issues she is raising , '' said Shemeer Babu , the rights group 's program director in India . Activists and non-profit organizations have repeatedly urged the Indian government to scrap the AFSPA . In 2005 , a government-appointed committee recommended the law be abolished . Its recommendations remain under the government 's `` consideration , '' India 's Deputy Home Minister Kiren Rijiju told the national parliament last month . Manipur is an impoverished , landlocked state in India 's remote northeastern belt . For years , many Manipuri tribal communities have resisted the authority of Delhi , claiming that they have suffered neglect from the central government . This disaffection has given rise to occasional outbreaks of violence .
Irom Sharmila , 42 , started her hunger strike in 2000 . She was arrested and charged with murder after she refused to eat for a month. Court argues there was insufficient evidence to prove she was attempting suicide .