India's Supreme Court has released five Christian men after they spent 11 years in prison in a case that sparked the biggest massacre of Christians in the country's history.

The five men had been accused of the assassination of Hindu monk, Swamy Laxmananda Saraswati and four of his associates. Despite maintaining their innocence and a communist group claiming responsibility for the murders, the Christian men were convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

The Christian Post says that the monk's death led to "the most severe outbreak of persecution in the country’s history." Over 8,000 homes and nearly 400 churches were destroyed. Dozens of Christians are believed to have been killed and hundreds more threatened with death. All told, over 50,000 Christians were displaced as a result of the violence.

The men's defenders say that they were simply arrested to appease the Hindu community despite a lack of credible evidence.

Appeals to their convictions have been lingering for the past six years. In early December 2019 India's Supreme Court released the men on bail while they await their appeals. Two other men also convicted had been released earlier in 2019.

“Everyone is praising the Lord,” Father Augustine Singh of the Cuttack-Bhubaneswar Archdiocese told the Union of Catholic Asian News. “We are happy and grateful to all concerned, who supported this cause. We are also happy that justice is given, though it took time. The next step is pinning hope in a fair justice system.”

There is no word on when their appeals will be heard.