Translated with AI
For the first time, criminal cases involving forced marriage have been registered in Kazakhstan, the Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan reported. The new cases involve minors as victims.
On September 16, 2025, Article 125-1 was added to the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, criminalizing forced marriage. The law covers situations where a woman is kidnapped or threatened with violence to force her into marriage.
Violation of this article carries a fine of up to 2,000 monthly calculation indices, correctional labor, restriction of liberty, or imprisonment for up to two years. If the actions result in serious consequences, the penalty may range from five to ten years in prison.
The first criminal cases under the new article have already been registered in Shymkent and the Kyzylorda region. In both cases, the victims were minors, the Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan emphasized.
Furthermore, since September 2025, Kazakhstan has been criminalized for stalking—persistent pursuit. Criminal cases have already been opened under this law in the Atyrau and Pavlodar regions. Specifically, in the Atyrau region, a man is suspected of stalking a woman, peering into her windows, and committing indecent acts.
According to the Prosecutor General's Office, the new articles of the Criminal Code are aimed at strengthening the protection of citizens' rights, especially women and minors, as well as preventing violence and forced marriage.
