Kazakhstan to Introduce Fines for Illegal Online Content

Kazakhstan is set to introduce administrative liability for disseminating illegal content on the internet, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Igor Lepekha announced during a recent session of the Mazhilis, the lower house of parliament. Although Kazakhstan formally banned the publication of unlawful material online in 2023, as stipulated in national legislation, the law did not include penalties for violations. Lepekha confirmed that this gap will now be addressed through new administrative measures. Kazakhstan has already established a system to detect illegal and false online content. “The Ministry of Culture sends us reports whenever false information is identified. We forward these materials for linguistic analysis, which is conducted by independent experts. If the content is found to constitute an offense, either administrative or criminal, a case is opened,” Lepekha explained. He added that all cases must be approved by the Prosecutor’s Office, with the courts ultimately determining culpability. The upcoming penalties mirror efforts in neighboring Kyrgyzstan, where the Ministry of Culture recently proposed similar fines for spreading disinformation online. Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Culture and Information (MKI) has reported a sharp rise in the volume of illegal content circulating online. In 2024, authorities identified 116,354 instances of unlawful material, nearly double the figure recorded in 2023. According to Minister Aida Balaeva, the most prevalent offenses include the promotion of terrorism, religious extremism, and drug use, as well as advertisements for online gambling and pyramid schemes. Earlier this year, activists in Almaty and Kostanay were fined for holding solo protests in support of detained satirist Temirlan Ensebek. The incident has drawn criticism from civil society groups concerned about shrinking space for dissent. Kazakhstan’s move to tighten internet regulations reflects growing regional and global trends aimed at combating harmful digital content. However, human rights organizations have warned that such measures must strike a careful balance to avoid infringing on freedom of expression.

Tajikistan Has the Harshest Fines Relative to Income in Central Asia

Tajikistan ranks first among Central Asian countries in the ratio of maximum fines to average salaries, a disparity that has sparked growing dissatisfaction among the population. Structure and Scale of Fines Fines in Tajikistan fall into two categories: administrative and criminal. Administrative fines apply to less serious infractions, such as traffic violations, breaches of sanitary rules, and disorderly conduct. Criminal fines, by contrast, target serious offenses including fraud, tax evasion, and property crimes. Administrative penalties are more common and tend to disproportionately impact ordinary citizens. As of January 1, 2025, the minimum administrative fine for individuals and sole proprietors is 75 Tajikistani somoni (TJS), or approximately $7.20. For government officials, the minimum fine is 225 TJS ($21), and for legal entities it is 750 TJS ($72). The upper threshold for administrative fines is capped at $780 for individuals, $1,400 for officials, $2,120 for entrepreneurs, and $7,200 for legal entities. Regional Comparisons Compared to its neighbors, Tajikistan's fine-to-salary ratio is starkly higher. In Kazakhstan, the maximum fine for individuals is roughly $1,537, or about 80.5% of the average monthly salary ($851 as of January 2025). In Kyrgyzstan, the maximum individual fine of approximately $229 represents just 50.9% of the average salary ($450). In Uzbekistan, where the maximum individual fine is limited to $145, it amounts to about 35% of the average salary of $414. In contrast, the maximum administrative fine in Tajikistan for individuals exceeds the country’s average monthly income by more than 2.8 times, placing it at the bottom of the regional ranking in terms of fairness and affordability. Calls for Reform Experts have proposed that Tajikistan consider adopting a proportional system of fines based on the offender’s income. Such systems, already implemented in various European countries, aim to ensure that penalties are equitable across income groups. In Finland, traffic fines are linked to annual income; in Sweden and Norway, they depend on monthly earnings. Other countries, including Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and France, also tailor financial penalties to income. Estonia and Latvia have initiated similar reforms, signaling a broader European trend. Adopting such a model in Tajikistan could improve perceptions of justice and encourage compliance with laws, particularly among higher-income groups. However, experts caution that successful implementation would require sweeping legal reforms, along with mechanisms to accurately monitor and verify income levels.