Kazakhstan to crack down on bride kidnapping with serious punishments

Kazakhstan plans to introduce criminal liability for bride kidnapping. Offenders will face fines, community service and prison sentences ranging from three to five years. The relevant legal amendments are expected to be approved in the near future.

Members of the Mazhilis, the lower house of Kazakhstan’s parliament, have already proposed sanctions for bride kidnapping to be added to the country’s Criminal Code, as reported by Vlast.kz.    

«I have proposed this. It is now being reviewed by a working group responsible for optimizing the Criminal, Penal Execution and Criminal Procedure Codes,» MP Murat Abenov said.

The penalty for kidnappers is expected to vary depending on the severity of the crime. Under the new article, the following sanctions will apply: fines, community service and imprisonment.

«If a group of individuals is involved in kidnapping a minor and harm has been made, the sentence will range from three to five years of imprisonment. If a woman is held at home against her will, the courts should rule in favor of the victim,» Abenov summed up.

Last year, MP Yedil Zhanbyrshin called for the introduction of criminal liability for bride kidnapping in Kazakhstan. His stance was supported by Yerlan Koshanov, chairman of the Mazhilis of parliament, and Artur Lastayev, the human rights ombudsman.

Kazakhstani National Center for Human Rights told Kursiv.media that bride kidnappers could face prison sentences ranging from four to seven years. However, these penalties aren’t finalized, as the draft legislation has yet to be reviewed by the Mazhilis.