Kazakhstan's Parliament Passes Bill for Pardons Celebrating 30 Years of Constitution
Celebrating Kazakhstan's Constitution Anniversary with a Humanitarian gesture 🇰🇿
The lower house of Kazakhstan's Parliament, the Mazhilis, has passed a bill offering an amnesty to offenders who've committed crimes that don't pose a significant danger to public or national security, in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the country's Constitution (📜).
📸 Credits: gov.kz
Following President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's instructions issued on April 1st, 2025, the proposed legislation seeks to reform the penal system, aligning it with humanistic principles.
The bill proposes liberating those who've been indicted for crimes that don't pose a severe threat to public or national safety. This includes:- Petty Offenders: Individuals serving sentences for minor transgressions and moderate-severe crimes that caused no damage or where reparations were made in full.- Vulnerable Populations: Such as women with minor children, expectant mothers, war veterans, the elderly, and disabled individuals, convicted of medium-level offenses, despite unpaid damages or pending civil suits.
The draft also proposes:- Closure of Unresolved Cases: Terminating criminal proceedings for minor and moderate-severe crimes carried out before the legislation comes into effect.- Sentence Reductions: Reducing unserved sentences for serious or particularly grave offenses. For corruption-related crimes, such as embezzlement, misappropriation, or fraud, sentences may be lowered by 20% if full reimbursement has been made.
However, there are limitations on the amnesty's application:- New Crimes: New criminal offenses, including intentional infliction of harm, assault, leakage of state secrets, and corruption-related crimes, are excluded from the amnesty.- Serious Crimes: Individuals guilty of particularly dangerous crimes are also ineligible for the amnesty.
Upon the law's adoption, the number of prisoners in penitentiary facilities could decrease substantially due to the release of offenders responsible for non-violent transgressions.
Sources:1. Kazinform. (2025, June 11). Mazhilis adopts bill on amnesty for prisoners and underage convicts. [online] Available at: https://www.kazinform.kz/2025/06/11/mazhilis-adopts-bill-on-amnesty-for-prisoners-and-underage-convicts/22. Tengrinews. (2025, June 11). Mazhilis adopts amnesty law. [online] Available at: https://tengrinews.kz/kazakhstan_news/mazhilis-adopts-amnesty-law/3. The Astana Times. (2025, June 11). Mazhilis adopts amnesty draft law on 30th anniversary of Kazakhstan Constitution. [online] Available at: https://astanatimes.com/2025/06/mazhilis-adopts-amnesty-draft-law-on-30th-anniversary-of-kazakhstan-constitution/4. Kazakhstan Today. (2025, June 11). Kazakh parliament approves amnesty law. [online] Available at: https://kazakhstantoday.com/other-news/kazakh-parliament-approves-amnesty-law/
- The amnesty bill, passed in commemoration of Kazakhstan's Constitution Anniversary, aligns with the country's policy-and-legislation aimed at reforming the penal system and promoting humanitarian gestures in politics.
- The general-news about Kazakhstan's amnesty law, which offers release to offenders of non-violent crimes, is part of a broader trend in politics towards more humane legislation and policy-and-legislation.
