Afghanistan quietly brings into force Taliban amnesty law - Jon Boone in Kabul

The sudden implementation of the controversial law, which had been shelved for almost two years since it was passed by a slim parliamentary majority in 2007, has raised fears that the Afghan government is ignoring the rights of Taliban victims for the sake of President Hamid Karzai's push for a quick peace deal with insurgents.

The reconciliation and general amnesty law also gives immunity from prosecution to all of the country's warlords, the former factional leaders, many of whom are hated for the atrocities they committed during Afghanistan's civil war in the 1990s.

Brad Adams, the Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said the law was a "total abdication of the state's responsibility to investigate and prosecute crimes".

He said: "Karzai has been vigorous in calling for justice and investigation after civilian casualty incidents in the current conflict, and victims of past conflict deserve the same protection." Afghanistan's Taliban amnesty law - guardian.

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