Colombia Congress approves amnesty for thousands of FARC rebels

Colombia's Congress on Wednesday approved an amnesty law to protect thousands of demobilising Marxist guerrilla fighters from prosecution for minor crimes committed during the country's 52-year war.

The law, a key part of a peace deal signed in November between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels, will not include fighters who have committed war crimes or human rights violations.

The amnesty also applies to members of the country's military. It is the first in a series of laws tied to the deal that will be sped through congress in hopes of reassuring rebels who are beginning to move to special demobilisation zones.

The bill passed in both the Senate and the lower house, despite vociferous opposition from the right-wing Democratic Center party, whose members abstained from voting. The coalition of President Juan Manuel Santos, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in December, has a majority in Congress.

Some 7,000 FARC fighters are expected to lay down their arms over the next six months. Rebels found guilty of serious crimes like massacres, sexual violence or kidnapping will not fall under the amnesty and will instead serve alternative sentences such as land mine removal, to be determined by a special court.

In a joint statement on Wednesday, the FARC and the government said they would establish how many rebels are not eligible for the amnesty by January 30 at the latest.

Other laws tied to the peace deal include rural reform, compensation to victims, removal of land mines and a United Nations-monitored ceasefire. The FARC will convert into a political party under the accord.