Kazakhstan - April 2024

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed into law harsher punishments and prison time for domestic violence and related crimes. Domestic violence against women and children are now criminal offences and the responsibility for collecting evidence now lies with the police, rather than the victim. The law was lauded by local activists, United Nations officials and human rights organizations, but most also pointed out it does not go far enough: domestic violence is still not a crime in itself, there is no monitoring mechanism, and psychological and sexual violence are not covered. The law’s passage was powered by significant public support and a campaign of the family of Saltanant Nukenova, who was publicly beaten to death by her husband, former economy minister Kuandyk Bishimbayev, at an Astana restaurant in November 2023. Bishimbayev was sentenced to 24 years imprisonment on 13 May. The United Nations says about 400 Kazakh women die from domestic abuse annually.

Sources: Eurasianet, Human Rights Watch (1), Human Rights Watch (2)