Peruvian President Dina Boluarte on Wednesday signed into law a bill that grants amnesty to members of the armed forces, national police and civilian self-defence committees accused of human-rights violations during the country’s internal conflict from 1980 to 2000. The measure, approved by Congress in July, also authorises the humanitarian release of those over 70 who are already jailed, provided they have no final convictions for terrorism or corruption. During the two-decade conflict against Shining Path and Túpac Amaru rebels, about 70,000 people were killed and more than 20,000 disappeared, according to Peru’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. United Nations experts say the new law could halt or overturn roughly 600 ongoing trials and 156 convictions and may affect more than 1,000 individuals who still face charges linked to the period. Boluarte defended the legislation as a gesture to those who, in her words, “defended democracy,” arguing that many cases have dragged on for decades without resolution. Human-rights organisations disagreed. Human Rights Watch called the amnesty “a betrayal of Peruvian victims,” while Amnesty International and UN rapporteurs warned that it undermines Peru’s obligation to investigate and prosecute grave abuses. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights had ordered Lima to suspend the bill pending a review, and legal challenges to its constitutionality are expected. Critics say the law risks entrenching impunity at a time when the Boluarte administration itself faces scrutiny over the handling of recent protests.