The United Nations has called for the repeal of an amnesty law in Afghanistan that shields alleged war criminals from prosecution.
The Reconciliation and General Amnesty Law was passed by parliament in 2007 and quietly published in an official gazette in December 2008.
The law was heavily criticised by Afghan and international human rights groups after it surfaced in the news earlier this year.
Norah Niland, who represents the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Afghanistan, told journalists in Kabul that the UN was asking for the law to be repealed because it relieves Afghan authorities of their obligation to investigate and prosecute those allegedly responsible for gross violations of human rights.
