ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a new law on July 16 introducing criminal liability for stalking and forced marriage, as part of amendments aimed at optimizing Kazakhstan’s criminal legislation, reported Akorda.
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The law amends the Criminal Code, Criminal Procedure Code, Criminal Executive Code, the Code on Marriage (matrimony) and Family, and several other related legal acts, including those regulating operational investigative activities and payment systems.
The legislative changes are divided into four blocks: ensuring the stability of criminal law, increasing penalties for socially dangerous acts, strengthening protection of citizens’ rights in criminal proceedings, and improving criminal-executive procedures.
Among the most notable updates is the introduction of criminal liability for coercion into marriage and stalking, as well as for cyber fraud involving so-called “dropper” bank cards, and unlawful interference with aircraft control. The law also increases punishment for serious crimes against individuals and expands the list of persons exempt from life imprisonment.
A newly added article to the Criminal Code defines stalking as a criminal offense. Penalties include a fine of up to 200 monthly calculation indices (US$1,492), corrective labor, up to 200 hours of community service, or arrest for up to 50 days.
“The new law introduces criminal liability for stalking, that is, the unlawful pursuit of an individual that poses a serious public danger,” said Duman Suleimenov, director of the Department of Legislation on Public Order at the Ministry of Justice.
“This behavior often results in psychological harm to the victim and is typically accompanied by threats, humiliation, and insults that are punishable under existing criminal code provisions. However, until now, there has been no specific article addressing persistent unlawful stalking as a standalone offense,” he said at a July 10 press briefing in Astana.
If the act involves violence, targets a minor, or is committed by a group or using official authority, the fine increases to 5,000 monthly calculation indices (US$37,301), with possible imprisonment for a period of three to seven years. In cases where such acts lead to serious consequences due to negligence, offenders may face five to ten years in prison.
There are no official statistics on the number of women kidnapped for the purpose of forced marriage in Kazakhstan, the practice which has often been viewed as a cultural tradition.
President Tokayev called for the introduction of a dedicated article in the Criminal Code to address bride kidnapping, as part of an initiative to strengthen legal protections against domestic violence and to uphold the rights of women and children in Kazakhstan.
