ALMATY: Kazakhstan has implemented a new law prohibiting forced marriages and bride kidnappings effective Tuesday.
The Central Asian nation has criminalised these practices despite their historical persistence in the region.
Forcing someone into marriage now carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years according to Kazakh police authorities.
These changes are aimed at preventing forced marriages and protecting vulnerable categories of citizens, especially women and adolescents.
Bride kidnappings have also been completely outlawed under the new legislation.
Previously, a person who voluntarily released a kidnapped person could expect to be released from criminal liability.
Now this possibility has been eliminated according to official police statements.
The country previously lacked reliable statistics on forced marriage cases due to the absence of specific criminal code provisions.
A Kazakh lawmaker revealed earlier this year that police received 214 such complaints over the past three years.
This custom also exists in neighbouring Kyrgyzstan where enforcement remains challenging due to social stigma.
The women’s rights issue gained significant media attention in Kazakhstan following a 2023 murder case.
A woman was killed by her husband, a former minister, shocking society and prompting presidential action.
Some people hide behind so-called traditions and try to impose the practice of wife stealing.
This blatant obscurantism cannot be justified President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated last year. – AFP
