Kazakhstan Justice - The Times Of Central Asia

Viewing results 1 - 6 of 255

Sexual Violence

Kazakh Women Share Stories of Sexual Violence Under #IAmJaneDoe Hashtag

Women in Kazakhstan have joined the international #IAmJaneDoe social media campaign, sharing accounts of sexual violence they experienced as children and teenagers. The posts include allegations of abuse by relatives, acquaintances, and strangers. Many participants say they remained silent because they feared being judged and did not trust law enforcement authorities. Denis Dzhivaga, director of the Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law, told The Times of Central Asia why speaking out publicly sometimes becomes the only way for survivors to draw attention to their experiences, despite tougher legislation. How #IAmJaneDoe Began The international #IAmJaneDoe campaign emerged amid a case involving a former student at Cornell University in the United States. In September 2026, a woman identified in court documents by the pseudonym Jane Doe filed a civil lawsuit against seven former members of the Chi Phi fraternity, the university, and other defendants. According to the plaintiff, she was subjected to a gang sexual assault in October 2024. The initial investigation ended without criminal charges being filed. After the lawsuit was brought, prosecutors reopened the investigation, and New York Governor Kathy Hochul appointed state Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor. No criminal charges have been filed, and the seven men deny wrongdoing. Women in different countries began posting under #IAmJaneDoe in an effort to frustrate attempts to reveal the plaintiff's identity. Through these posts, they express solidarity with the plaintiff and share their own experiences of violence. In Kazakhstan, the campaign has brought attention to the silence surrounding sexual abuse within families. In their accounts, women describe incidents dating back many years, including alleged crimes committed by fathers, stepfathers, and brothers. Dzhivaga believes that the decision to share such experiences publicly is often linked to a lack of effective support. “From families that try to cover up cases of abuse to police officers who still prefer not to interfere in family matters, everything pushes women to at least tell their stories publicly. Quite often, women simply have no other options,” he said. However, speaking out does not guarantee sympathy. According to the human rights advocate, women who share their experiences face blame and condemnation, including from other women. What Has Changed Under the ‘Saltanat Law’? In June 2024, amendments informally known as the “Saltanat Law” came into force in Kazakhstan. They were adopted following the murder of Saltanat Nukenova, a case that sparked widespread public outrage. Former Minister of National Economy Kuandyk Bishimbayev was sentenced to 24 years in prison for her murder. The amendments reinstated criminal penalties for battery and intentional infliction of minor bodily harm, strengthened protections for women and children, and expanded measures aimed at preventing violence. However, Dzhivaga argues that the legislative changes have not yet produced comparable improvements in how government agencies respond. “When everyone was celebrating the adoption of the law, I said that passing a law is only half the battle. What matters is how it is enforced. The law has to work, but in many respects, the response...

Harassment Laws

Sexual Harassment in Kazakhstan: Why Are Such Cases Difficult to Track?

A woman who said she was sexually harassed on a bus in Astana decided against going to the police because she feared she would be unable to prove what had happened. Instead, she confronted the man and photographed him. "It wasn't an accidental touch because the bus was crowded. He was groping me," she wrote on Threads. Police identified the 46-year-old man after discovering her post. A court sentenced him to ten days of administrative detention for indecent behavior on public transport. On October 13, a court in the capital had imposed the same penalty on an inDrive driver who had asked a female passenger intimate questions and propositioned her for sex during a ride. The woman also took to Threads to describe the incident. The court classified the driver's actions as petty hooliganism. Why Sexual Harassment is Prosecuted as Petty Hooliganism Kazakhstan does not have a comprehensive legal provision specifically addressing sexual harassment of adults in public places. Depending on the circumstances, law enforcement authorities may apply administrative or criminal law. Article 434 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, which covers petty hooliganism, is used in cases of this kind. It applies to offensive harassment of others and other conduct that disturbs public order, including obscene language. The law does not distinguish sexual harassment from other forms of offensive behavior. A first offense is punishable by a fine of 20 times the monthly calculation index (MCI) or 20 to 60 hours of community service. Alternatively, courts can impose five to 15 days of administrative detention. The MCI is a government-set unit used to calculate fines and certain other payments. In 2026, it stands at 4,325 tenge, making a fine of 20 MCI equal to 86,500 tenge, or approximately $190. In August 2023, an Almaty moped rider was held administratively liable under the petty hooliganism provision after slapping a woman he did not know on the buttocks. Because these incidents are recorded alongside other public order violations, official statistics do not show how many cases specifically involve unwanted sexual conduct. Criminal law provides more serious penalties for certain forms of sexual coercion. Article 123 of the Criminal Code addresses coercion into sexual acts through blackmail or threats against property. It also covers exploitation of a victim's financial or other dependence. It does not cover every instance of unwanted touching or verbal sexual harassment. In April 2024, Kazakhstan amended legislation protecting women and children, including provisions establishing criminal liability for sexual harassment of children under 16. The amendments did not create an equivalent standalone offense covering all forms of sexual harassment of adults in public places. Workplace Sexual Harassment Legislation Is Being Developed The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population has developed amendments that would introduce a definition of workplace sexual harassment into national labor legislation for the first time. The proposals would establish employers' responsibilities for preventing such conduct and create legal grounds for dismissing offenders. However, they would not establish a separate criminal or administrative penalty...

Drug Smuggling

Russian Rapper Navai Detained at Kazakhstan Border on Suspicion of Drug Smuggling

Russian rapper Navai Bakirov, known professionally as Navai, was detained on October 13 while entering Kazakhstan from Kyrgyzstan. A Kazakh court has since ordered him held in custody as police investigate suspected drug smuggling and unlawful possession of narcotics. Police in Kazakhstan’s Zhambyl region said officers and border guards discovered and seized a narcotic substance during a search of his vehicle at the Korday checkpoint. They have not identified the substance or disclosed the quantity seized. Navai had performed in Bishkek the previous day as part of a Central Asian concert tour. His concert scheduled for October 14 in Astana was canceled, with organizers citing technical reasons. Kyrgyzstan’s State Border Service has launched an internal investigation into how the musician passed through its Ak-Zhol checkpoint. The service said it would take action if any violations by border officials were uncovered. Navai is a singer of Azerbaijani descent who rose to prominence as part of the duo HammAli & Navai. The duo’s popular songs include “Pustite Menya na Tantspol” (“Let Me on the Dance Floor”), “Pryatki” (“Hide and Seek”), and “Devochka-Voyna” (“Warrior Girl”).

Espionage

German Spy Scandal Puts Central Asian and Caucasus Espionage Cases in Focus

The arrest of former German intelligence chief August Hanning has drawn attention to Azerbaijan. German journalists reported that he allegedly had contacts with Azerbaijan's intelligence service. Baku rejected the allegations, while German prosecutors have not confirmed any Azerbaijani involvement. In recent years, citizens of Central Asia and the South Caucasus have repeatedly been implicated in espionage and treason cases. The accused and suspects include former intelligence chiefs, military personnel, officials, scientists, and foreign nationals. Some have received lengthy prison sentences, while others remain under investigation. In many cases, information about alleged foreign intelligence connections is limited to media reports. German Scandal and Ties to Baku On October 6, 2026, the German authorities detained 80-year-old August Hanning, who headed the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) from 1998 to 2005. Former BND employee Manfred D. was also taken into custody. Hanning is suspected of attempted treason, obtaining state secrets, and acting on behalf of a foreign intelligence service. Manfred D. is suspected of assisting in the alleged offenses. Both were placed in pretrial detention on October 7. According to federal prosecutors, in the spring of 2010, Hanning reached an agreement with his former subordinate to obtain intelligence documents in exchange for money. By June 2022, Manfred D. had allegedly provided him with approximately 2,000 documents, including classified materials. By then, Hanning was working as a private consultant and, investigators believe, used the information for commercial purposes. According to German media reports, the documents included materials on Iran's nuclear program, Russia's armed forces, and information received from partner intelligence agencies. Investigators also allege that Hanning prepared an analytical memorandum for an officer of a foreign intelligence service. It remains unknown whether the intended recipient received it. Der Spiegel reported alleged contacts between Hanning and a representative of Azerbaijani intelligence. The investigative outlet CORRECTIV examined his longstanding ties to Baku, including his participation in the German-Azerbaijani Forum. German prosecutors have not identified the foreign intelligence service involved in the investigation. Azerbaijan rejected reports of its involvement and warned of damage to relations with Berlin. An Azerbaijani official also claimed that German intelligence representatives had assured Baku that the investigation was unrelated to Azerbaijan, although this has not been publicly confirmed by the German authorities. The classified documents were discovered during a separate investigation. In September 2025, police searched Hanning's premises in connection with the alleged abduction of the children of German businesswoman Christina Block from Denmark. The discovery led to a separate criminal investigation opened in May 2026. Hanning's lawyer acknowledged that his client possessed confidential documents, but rejected allegations he had passed on information to Germany's detriment or received payment for doing so. Kazakhstan’s Espionage and State Secrets Cases In Kazakhstan, one of the best-known treason cases of recent times involved the prosecution of China expert Konstantin Syroyezhkin, who worked for many years at the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the president. Syroyezhkin was detained in February 2019 and sentenced to ten years in prison in October. The trial was held behind closed...

Asset Recovery

Kazakhstan Ratifies European Legal Assistance Convention as Asset Recovery Push Expands

Kazakhstan has ratified the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters, in a step that could strengthen a long-running effort to obtain evidence and pursue assets held across foreign jurisdictions. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed the ratification law on October 6. The 1959 Council of Europe convention requires participating states to assist in criminal cases, including gathering evidence, transmitting records, serving judicial documents, and executing certain search and seizure requests. The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers invited Kazakhstan to join on June 18, 2025. Kazakh prosecutors have said accession would provide a common legal channel with European states where no bilateral agreement exists. Deputy Prosecutor General Galymzhan Koigeldiyev told lawmakers that Kazakhstan had been pursuing accession since 2001. Kazakhstan’s Kurultai approved the ratification law on September 23. Search and seizure requests can be carried out only when the conduct is an offense in both countries and is punishable under Kazakh law. The Supreme Court will handle requests concerning cases already before the courts, while the Prosecutor General’s Office will handle other requests. Under Council of Europe rules for non-member states, Kazakhstan must deposit its instrument of accession with the Council of Europe Secretary General. Accession then takes effect 90 days later. The effort to recover wealth from abroad predates Tokayev’s current campaign by many years. The clearest example is former BTA Bank chairman Mukhtar Ablyazov. After BTA was nationalized in 2009, the bank pursued him through the English courts in a sprawling series of asset recovery cases. The UK Supreme Court later recorded default judgments totaling about $4.6 billion amid allegations that Ablyazov concealed assets through a network of companies. In one of the English proceedings, Lord Justice Maurice Kay said: “It is difficult to imagine a party to commercial litigation who has acted with more cynicism, opportunism and deviousness towards court orders than Mr Ablyazov.” Ablyazov has denied the allegations and has long maintained that the cases against him are politically motivated. The litigation has spread across jurisdictions and family networks. BTA later pursued Ablyazov’s son-in-law, Ilyas Khrapunov, alleging he helped dissipate and conceal assets despite worldwide freezing orders. Khrapunov is the son of former Almaty mayor Viktor Khrapunov, who has also faced claims over allegedly misappropriated city property. The Times of Central Asia previously detailed how funds linked to the cases moved through shell companies and foreign property deals. Viktor Khrapunov has also rejected the accusations as politically motivated. Those disputes continued in the United States. In 2024, a New York jury awarded BTA Bank and the city of Almaty more than $32 million in litigation over money and property linked to the wider case. The need to pursue separate cases in Britain, Switzerland, the U.S., and elsewhere highlights a recurring problem: a Kazakh investigation or judgment does not automatically provide access to evidence or assets held overseas. Following the unrest of January 2022, Tokayev made asset recovery a more formal part of state policy. Kazakhstan adopted its asset recovery law in 2023, giving the Prosecutor General’s...

Military Deaths

Kazakhstan Defense Ministry Inspection Leads to 13 Criminal Cases in Wake of Soldiers’ Deaths

A comprehensive inspection of Kazakhstan’s Defense Ministry has resulted in 13 criminal cases involving suspected theft of state property, abuse of office, and other violations. The inspection follows the deaths of 14 servicemen during military exercises in the Caspian Sea on September 24. On October 5, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev heard the inspection's initial findings. The commission found serious shortcomings in the preparation and planning of the exercises, risk assessment, organization of the landing operation, and measures to ensure the servicemen’s safety. Criminal cases also concern hazing and violence against servicemen. The tragedy was followed by a reshuffle at the top of the defense establishment. On September 27, Aidos Myrzakhmetov became defense minister, replacing Dauren Kosanov, who was dismissed the same day. Myrzakhmetov had spent much of his career in the State Guard Service, the agency responsible for protecting the president and other designated officials. On October 3, Tokayev dismissed First Deputy Defense Minister and Chief of the General Staff Kanysh Abubakirov, Deputy Defense Minister Almaz Dzhumakeyev, and Navy Commander-in-Chief Kanat Niyazbekov. On October 5, another former senior State Guard Service officer, Aitkurman Omarbekov, was appointed First Deputy Defense Minister and Chief of the General Staff. Former navy commander Kanat Niyazbekov was detained on October 6 on suspicion of negligence in connection with the deaths, with a court authorizing his arrest, according to the Interior Ministry. But the president did not stop at personnel changes. Following the deaths of the marines, he ordered the preparation of a Military Reform Plan and delivered one of his harshest public assessments of the armed forces in years. “Our army is stuck in the last century… the command system must be completely rebuilt in line with advanced international practice,” Tokayev said on September 27. He described the deaths of servicemen in peacetime as the result of what he called “essentially criminal unprofessionalism by officers, including generals.” Public Anger After the Caspian Tragedy Political analyst Daniyar Ashimbayev wrote that the deaths of the servicemen in the Mangystau region triggered “a very strong and emotional reaction in the country,” amplified by what he called the “traditionally clumsy actions” of the military bureaucracy. “Rumors, gossip, fakes, and openly provocative content quickly began to emerge. Nor should we forget that the emergency occurred in the most difficult region,” he wrote, referring to the history of protests in oil-producing Mangystau. The public reaction was particularly intense because of the circumstances surrounding the soldiers’ deaths. The Khazar Qorgany 2026 exercises were taking place in Kazakhstan’s sector of the Caspian Sea. During a training mission, 17 servicemen were swept out to sea; three were rescued. For some of those who died, these were the final days of their compulsory military service. Deputy Navy Commander Arman Satkanov said some had as little as eight days left before returning home, with their tickets already purchased. Five members of the military command were detained on September 25 on suspicion of negligence and violations of navigation rules. They included the Navy chief of staff and first...