Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Justice is planning to introduce «virtual autopsies» as an alternative to standard postmortem examinations, according to Yerlan Sarsembayev, the head of the agency. He announced the proposal during a recent cabinet meeting.
The procedure would use computed tomography (CT) scans instead of conventional autopsies, allowing bodies to remain largely intact. Sarsembayev noted that this approach could help address concerns related to national and religious traditions. The project has been launched in a pilot phase.
In a virtual autopsy, internal organs remain undisturbed while advanced imaging helps determine the cause of death.
The ministry also plans to reduce the number of what it calls «unjustified» forensic examinations. To achieve this, experts and state agencies will follow a step-by-step protocol. As part of the initiative, the government is launching E-Saraptama 2.0, an upgraded version of its forensic system incorporating artificial intelligence to improve transparency.
Sarsembayev also highlighted that the country’s Forensic Examination Center, a key public institution for forensic analysis, should become more self-sufficient. This could include increasing the number of contract-based examinations.
Discussions about 3D autopsies first emerged five years ago as part of a draft law aimed at reforming the country’s forensic services. At the time, officials reported that Kazakhstan performed around 30,000 autopsies annually, placing a significant strain on the forensic system. However, while digital autopsies offer a high-tech alternative, scaling the method nationwide remains a challenge due to high costs
