Rights group opposes Afghan immunity law

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 (UPI) -- The Afghan government should suspend legislation that offers immunity from war crimes in exchange for pledges of support, Amnesty International said.

Kabul in 2007 passed the National Stability and Reconciliation measure that offers immunity from prosecution for human-rights violations, war crimes and crimes against humanity to those willing to support the government.

Sam Zarifi, the Asia-Pacific director for Amnesty International, complained the bill runs counter to the wishes of Afghan citizens who want to see gross rights abuses prosecuted.

"The Afghan people have time and again signaled that they want a government that protects and provides their human rights and that imposes the rule of law," he said.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai never signed the bill, however, and it was published two years after lawmakers approved the measure.

Karzai in January said he would advocate a reconciliation effort to bring moderate Taliban into the political fray provided they were separated ideologically from al-Qaida. The effort is modeled after a similar effort in Iraq that military planners credit with putting an end to the insurgency.

The bill would extend protection to certain members of the Taliban.

Zarifi, however, said that effort was in opposition to the true spirit of justice

The Taliban "should be held to account for their actions, not be granted official impunity," he said.